Debates of June 2, 2006 (day 4)

Mr. Speaker, the study was done for the use of the communities and there is some new monies included in this year’s budget to do additional work in terms of studying what would be the appropriate dust suppression to use. However, to the actual cost of what the community may decide to move forward on, whether it’s chipsealing of the whole community or calcium, that would be the community’s responsibility, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 46-15(5): Delivery Of Dust Control Programs For Small Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I don’t have a problem with the communities assuming control of their municipal and community affairs, but is the government going to provide any money? Mr. Minister, if you could just tell me straightforward, is the government going to flag money to these communities to say okay, here’s $100,000 to address your dust control issues? Is that in the works, or is this coming out of these Northern Strategy dollars, which is for capacity building or for recreation or for youth development, not dust control? That wasn’t included in the Northern Strategy, as far as I know. How are these communities going to address these dust issues without money? Is the government going to provide that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 46-15(5): Delivery Of Dust Control Programs For Small Communities

Mr. Speaker, we provided a number of different sources of money to the community that we are moving in a process where the communities will make their own decisions, and that includes dust control. We’ve provided money through the Northern Strategy to each community. We’ve included a new formula for capital. There is also gas tax that will start flowing to the communities. All these new dollars available allows the community to decide how they want to deal with dust control. We are not going to create another budget for dust control. We have some resources that we’ve allocated for this year to do further analysis to help the communities to decide where they want to go and what would be appropriate. Further than that, the communities are going to have to start spending their own money. We have turned over all the pots of money to the communities for them to decide, to make their own decisions. So that’s where they’ll have to get it from, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 46-15(5): Delivery Of Dust Control Programs For Small Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, you know, I don’t think we really have to study the dust issue to death here because, you know, the EBA report on dust control is very well done, as far as I’m concerned. But again, these Northern Strategy dollars, these gas tax dollars, all these sources of money that the government has offloaded on the community to tell them to spend it any way you want, you know, I don’t see anything in any of these spending requirements that mentions anything about dust and that it’s your responsibility all of a sudden. The dust control has always been a government responsibility in the past and now, all of a sudden, it’s taken off the books because of all this money that’s…

What’s your question, Mr. Villeneuve? Do you have a question?

Why is that, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 46-15(5): Delivery Of Dust Control Programs For Small Communities

Mr. Speaker, the issue of dust control has always been the responsibility of the community government. It has been built into the community government operational funds; it’s something that’s allocated on an annual basis. The community decides their budgets. If the community decides not to spend it on dust control, that’s their decision. We have recently moved into transferring the dollars to the communities in different areas so that the communities can make their own decisions. There is more money flowing now for communities to work with on what their challenges are than there ever has been in the last while.

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Dust control can be accommodated in the community capacity fund, it can be accommodated in the new gas tax money, they can pave the whole community if that’s what the community desires. If there is a problem and they want the government to carve a portion out of it, for us to tell the communities how to do it, that’s not something we want to do anymore. The community has to decide where they want to spend the money. The tools are in their hands, they can make those decisions. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s time for my spring road report.

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Mr. Speaker, I’ve got a question for the honourable Minister of Transportation. Just recently, the Dehcho leadership were travelling to Fort Liard, as well as track and field communities were travelling to Hay River, and they report that highways No. 1 and No. 7 have largely been unmaintained. They’re saying that there's lots of potholes, it’s soft. I’m just wondering, when is this ministry going to spend some of that money that’s earmarked for maintenance on those highways? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 47-15(5): Maintenance Needed For Highways No. 1 And No. 7

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s always a challenge to deal with the damage that’s been done over the winter months because of frost heaving, because of the level of traffic that’s on our roads as a result of resource development. There is also the issue of some areas flooding and those type of things, and it takes a while to catch up. All our crews are out there. All our own-force crews are out there. Some crews are working overtime if there’s areas that need extra attention, and all our contract crews are out there. But we have to ask the general public to bear with us. It’s going to take a while. It usually takes several weeks to a month to get back on a regular maintenance schedule and do all the patching. This year we tried to get our crews out early to be able to accommodate the level of repairs that needed to be done, but it’s going to take a while. We also need the weather to cooperate with us because if we get a rain storm, then that really escalates the damage that gets done on the roads, especially our gravel roads such as highways No. 1 and No. 7 in the Member’s riding. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Supplementary To Question 47-15(5): Maintenance Needed For Highways No. 1 And 7

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to read briefly from an e-mail I got. “Dear Mr. Menicoche, blankety, blankety, blankety maintenance, blankety, blankety roads.”

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Just to highlight the fact that the Minister indicated the desire to get out there soon and I think soon was about a month ago to maintain those roads, Mr. Speaker. Once again, when will our maintenance schedule kick in for the roads, because there are people moving around? They are travelling around lots and safety is their number one concern. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 47-15(5): Maintenance Needed For Highways No. 1 And 7

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what the Member means when he asks when the maintenance schedule will kick in. We have a maintenance schedule that operates year round. We have a maintenance schedule that we are operating under right now. We are providing extra attention to some of the areas that are causing us some concern. However, we have our crews out there working as many hours as we can provide and we will continue to do so.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Supplementary To Question 47-15(5): Maintenance Needed For Highways No. 1 And 7

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just with respect to the maintenance schedule, the residents and constituents are reporting that the roads are not being maintained. People who travel quite frequently haven’t seen the graders out there. There are indeed potholes. Highway No. 7, that’s the Fort Liard one, there are lots of soft spots that need maintenance and filling in, but people aren’t seeing anything being done. So when is the ministry going to direct the maintenance crews out there and have a good look at the problems that are occurring? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 47-15(5): Maintenance Needed For Highways No. 1 And 7

Mr. Speaker, we will have some of our senior staff go into the areas on highways No. 1 and No. 7 to see for themselves if there are some concerns being raised by some of the Member’s constituents and look into the issues. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for Minister McLeod, Minister of the Public Utilities Board. I would like to know from the Minister if the board is required to hold a hearing before making a decision on applications. They had a fuel rider and a pension rider and, as far as I know, there were no hearings conducted on either of those and they were both approved. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister for the Public Utilities Board, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 48-15(5): Review Process Of The Public Utilities Board

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the board is required to review the applications on public utilities operating in the Northwest Territories regarding rates and rate structures. If it warrants hearings or whether it’s actual formal hearings in the community or through a process, what’s considered to be a proper hearing, that’s the board’s decision. I can’t confirm with any certainty whether it’s an actual requirement; depending on the level of what is requested in the application, I would assume. I would have to confirm that though, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 48-15(5): Review Process Of The Public Utilities Board

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister for that. The Public Utilities Act states that the board has the authority to rescind a decision and they may rehear a matter before deciding it. In this case, it’s hearing the matter for the first time. Where does that come from? Does the Minister have the authority to rescind a decision and then hold a hearing? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Minister Mike McLeod.

Further Return To Question 48-15(5): Review Process Of The Public Utilities Board

Mr. Speaker, the Public Utilities Board was established to serve as an expert body and an independent body to review the rate setting process in the rate setting process. It was also set up to insulate the Government of the Northwest Territories from the potential for conflict in the view of controlling the financial interests. Consumers, of course, have the right to be treated fairly. Again, Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if I have the answer the Member is asking, if I have the authority to overrule the Public Utilities Board. I would have to take that question as notice, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of ITI, Mr. Brendan Bell. What plans are in place in terms of enhancing or increasing the Canol Heritage Trail park management plan or just the whole overall view of the heritage park that’s been scheduled for…(inaudible)…

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 49-15(5): Status Of Canol Heritage Park Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member knows, this is certainly a priority for our department. We have had and been proposing to do some work and had budgeted amounts of money for a number of years. We are now at the point where we have a working committee to move forward. We have nominees as put forward by the region. We are going to work with them to ensure that there is a viable plan for enhancing the project. I expect there will also be a bit of a tour this summer. If the Member is interested in participating with the Premier and others, I believe, as well as Members of the committee, I think that is certainly a good way to kick off our renewed efforts in this regard and in that park. So I look forward to a number of events. I can assure the Member that this is a priority, we are moving forward and intend, certainly, to improve that and to start to implement that plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 49-15(5): Status Of Canol Heritage Park Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in terms of the working committees now being implemented or in place, can the Minister advise the people in the Territories and also in the Sahtu region when we can see a viable management plan that would see the Canol canyon heritage trail be turned over to the people in the Sahtu for enjoyment of all tourism? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 49-15(5): Status Of Canol Heritage Park Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member knows, we are committed to this project. Work is ongoing. In terms of when that can be finalized, the park plan finally implemented, that will depend on some of the consultation that is ongoing and some of the work that we need to do. We are committed to expediting this. I have indicated before that we needed to have moved faster on this project in the past and I think certainly we have failed to do that but are certainly prepared and committed to moving this ahead now with all of our partners and look forward to being able to do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 49-15(5): Status Of Canol Heritage Park Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister made reference to a tour this summer with several Members across the House and invited members from the public. I appreciate the support for this tour. In terms of involving people at the level of our elders in having some input into the design and implementation of the Canol heritage management plan, will the Minister commit to the House to involve the elders at that level? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 49-15(5): Status Of Canol Heritage Park Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s exactly why the committee has been set up and structured the way it has and certainly as they move forward, it’s critical to have that regional perspective. We know that they will bring forward the perspective of their people, including elders. We expect that they will consult with them. If the Member is asking about the tour this summer, he knows we are committed to that. There still are details to be finalized and worked out. Obviously if youth are going to participate in this, we have to ensure that we deal with every aspect and issue of safety. We are doing that. We want to make sure that this is well planned and can advance without a hitch. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 49-15(5): Status Of Canol Heritage Park Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this summer, I guess we are going for a little walk in the mountains. We’ll see what happens in the seven days. I appreciate the Minister’s full support on this and getting some recognition and support. Will the Minister be able to come to the Sahtu and to the Canol heritage summer tour, so his physical presence, not just by his words, and have him show up during the summer in Norman Wells?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 49-15(5): Status Of Canol Heritage Park Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am currently in the process of trying to finalize my summer schedule, my summer and family plans. Of course, I have someone at home who I have to consult with as well, but I will make every effort to be on the ground for at least part of the tour and I also hope, prior to that, potentially to get out. I know the Member was instrumental in providing a helicopter tour for some Members of the House of the area, of the region. That’s something I also look forward to. I think this is a beautiful part of our territory. It’s one that needs more exposure. It’s one that needs more support. It really will be wonderful when tourists will be able to more easily access that area. So it has my full support and I will work with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Oral questions. Before we go onto the next order of business, the Chair is going to call a short break.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the government.

Can Public Works and Services, after consulting with another department, authorize demolition of public infrastructure without consulting with the affected MLA(s) and standing committee? If so, does this contravene existing policies?

Who approved the publication of the tender to demolish Dene K'onia?

What was the correspondence between Public Works and Services and Health and Social Services regarding this issue?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.