Debates of March 1, 2006 (day 39)

Hear! Hear!

Mahsi, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 495-15(4): Need For Immediate Alternative Housing Solutions

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have been talking to aboriginal organizations. We have a program right now in place with the Metis Land Corporation in Norman Wells. We've done a project with them where we've built eight units, where they built four, we built four. Again, it was through a Loan Guarantee Program.

But again, we have talked to land claims organizations, band organizations, and also people in the private sector, that this program exists. I think we're hoping people will take up this program, especially where communities have lands in regards to IAB lands. I think that's one of the reserve’s unique qualities, is because they have a large land base, they were able to use the land as part of their collateral, going to the bank and also being able to…(inaudible)…that loan.

Again, we are open to talking with any community organizations, bands, land claims organizations, to consider this program. It is there, again, but we are open to sitting down with anyone interested in talking. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Krutko. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Supplementary To Question 495-15(4): Need For Immediate Alternative Housing Solutions

Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Just in terms of financing of a program such as this, does the corporation have a set aside pool of money for this? I thought I heard him mention another organization, but what kind of cost-sharing arrangements are there, or does the…I know that the corporation has budgeted allotments for regions and per community, is this something that he's looking at taking the funds directly from there? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Menicoche. Minister Krutko.

Further Return To Question 495-15(4): Need For Immediate Alternative Housing Solutions

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a Loan Guarantee Program where we guarantee the loan of a client. They go to the bank, the bank wants some certainty that they want to be able to assured that if they give a loan, someone will basically guarantee it. So we guarantee the loans as they're approved by the banks. So that's the loan guarantee that we offer. Again, it's up to $1 million. In those cases, we work that arrangement with the banks, the individual and ourselves. Where we've offered the loan guarantee, we have a written letter. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, talk of an election always seems to kind of get people interested in what's going on, and a question came to me about electoral reform on a municipal level. So I wrote an e-mail to the Minister and he did reply, but I'd like to hear what the Minister's thoughts are about any potential municipal electoral reform that will be coming in the next little while. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 496-15(4): Municipal Electoral Reform

Mr. Speaker, the question was raised by the Member. We are planning to have that discussion with the NWT Association of Communities. There has been no formal request to have this reform take place as of yet, and we will do follow-up once that discussion takes place if there is a desire from that association to move forward on it. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 496-15(4): Municipal Electoral Reform

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that from the Minister. Mr. Speaker, the issue of mandatory reporting, mobile voting for things like people at seniors' homes and hospitals, some of those are the issues that have been drawn out through some type of electoral reform. Is the Minister saying today that we have to wait for the NWT municipalities to put forward a request for any type of electoral reform, or can he hear me today on these types of matters? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister McLeod.

Further Return To Question 496-15(4): Municipal Electoral Reform

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have already heard from the Member; he sent us a letter. We have flagged this as an issue we'd like to discuss with the NWT Association of Communities, and I'd rather have that discussion before I make any decisions whether we're going to move forward on this issue or not. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 496-15(4): Municipal Electoral Reform

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I think really what I'm saying is if people in seniors' homes who can't get down to the voting box, or people in the hospital who are there for long-term care, may be missing out on their democratic right to vote for representatives that they feel strong about. So, Mr. Speaker, can I have the Minister commit today that they'll seriously look at that, regardless of if the municipalities are in support of this at this time or they are not in support of these types of things at this time? Can I get that commitment from the Minister that he'll look into those seriously and consider those types of reviews? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister McLeod.

Further Return To Question 496-15(4): Municipal Electoral Reform

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will commit to having that discussion with the municipalities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier, Premier Handley. I'd like to ask Premier Handley in terms of the territorial vision or the territorial next step in terms…For example, if we get the devolution agreement and if we get resource revenue sharing by the time this government finishes its term here, I'd like to ask the Premier what's the vision, what's the next step once we get devolution, once we get the resource revenue sharing, what's the vision? Where is the Premier leading us, Mr. Speaker?

Mahsi, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 497-15(4): Resource Revenue Sharing And Post-Devolution Plans

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The preamble to the question really is when we get devolution, when we get resource revenues, not if. We're past that point, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the next step, once we begin to receive our fair share of resource revenues, is to move ahead on aspects of our strategic plan that we set as a government when we first took office almost three years ago, two-and-a-half years ago. There are pieces on that in people becoming more self-reliant on use to complete infrastructure requests that Members have raised, in fact, today, to move ahead with that quickly.

Mr. Speaker, on devolution, that will give us the authority to be able to determine the pace and the rate of development. We currently have a lot of development happening in the Territories and some people would say, in fact, it's happening at a rate faster than we can manage it. So, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the day when we have that kind of control over development, over the use of the land, and the water, and the resources, and also the fiscal resources available to meet our strategic plan and our goals. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 497-15(4): Resource Revenue Sharing And Post-Devolution Plans

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When will we have the resource revenue sharing agreement signed, and when we have a properly satisfied devolution agreement with this territorial government, I'd like to ask when, when will the Premier again involve the people of the Northwest Territories in any type of post-devolution and resource revenue sharing. What's our next step? We're now masters of our own land, so I look forward to that day. I think that's going to be a great day for the Northwest Territories when we have those two deals in our back pocket when we can determine our own future. So when will any type of territorial-wide discussions in terms of the next steps to these two important things? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Premier.

Further Return To Question 497-15(4): Resource Revenue Sharing And Post-Devolution Plans

Mr. Speaker, I hope to have that kind of discussion on an ongoing basis. I can't predict exactly how fast resource revenue sharing arrangements will be negotiated, or devolution completed and so on. But, Mr. Speaker, I intend in the meantime that we continue to have a lot of open dialogue. We have opportunities; we have the Circle of Northern Leaders meeting coming up in April. I meet regularly with the regional aboriginal leadership. We have the Association of Communities who we meet with at least once a year, probably twice a year on average, or more. We meet with the communities, Mr. Speaker. I hope that we, as a Legislative Assembly, look at another NWT Day in Ottawa to involve people in that.

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So, Mr. Speaker, there will be a lot of opportunity for us to involve the people in the North. We have proposals that are put forward connecting Canada from coast to coast to coast, Corridors II. So, Mr. Speaker, there's going to be ongoing discussion and I'll be sure that we do involve all of our constituents to the extent possible as we move ahead with this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 497-15(4): Resource Revenue Sharing And Post-Devolution Plans

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I heard once in a negotiation meeting that in order to get to the Promised Land you have to negotiate your way through the wilderness. So I'm hoping that Mr. Premier could negotiate us out of the wilderness to the Promised Land the North has always been looking forward to. So I want to ask the Premier, the Northern Strategy was much celebrated and a success of the Northwest Territories. I want to ask the Premier what's the status of the Northern Strategy. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Premier.

Further Return To Question 497-15(4): Resource Revenue Sharing And Post-Devolution Plans

Mr. Speaker, the Northern Strategy was an agreement, a document that we were working on with the previous federal government. Mr. Speaker, we're now working with a new government. I've had the initial meeting with the Prime Minister and with the Minister of DIAND, and I expect that they are going to want to put their own vision on how they will work with us on development of the Northwest Territories. So, Mr. Speaker, I think we are going to look at a new arrangement yet to be determined by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social.

When will the communities/schools be eligible for funding to take the "Drop the Pop" challenge?

How much will each community/school be eligible for participation funding?

When will the "Drop the Pop" campaign be communicated to our communities/schools?

Will the communities receive recognition for participation in the campaign?

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table correspondence from the executive director of the YWCA to the Honourable Michael Miltenberger dated December 27th of last year, and previous correspondence concerning the issue of pay and benefits for non-government organizations delivering government programs, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Tabling of documents. Notices of motion. Notices of motion for first reading of bills. First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 16, Bill 19, Committee Report 8-15(4). Colleagues, before I place you into Committee of the Whole, by the authority given the Speaker by Rule 11, I hereby appoint Mr. Hawkins to act as deputy chair of Committee of the Whole for the remainder of the sitting.

Good morning. Mr. Menicoche.

Mr. Chair, the committee would like to consider the Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 2005-2006, as well as the Tobacco Control Act. Thank you.

Thank you. Does committee agree?

Agreed.

At this time, we will take a short break for lunch. Thank you.

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Good afternoon. I will call the Committee of the Whole back to order here. We are going to deal with Bill 19. At the present time, Members we will stand down consideration of the preamble, clauses and schedule…I’m sorry. Does committee have any opening comments with regard to Bill 19?

I am pleased to introduce Bill 19, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 2005-2006. This bill requests authority for additional appropriations of $31.994 million for operations expenditures and $1.189 million for capital investment expenditures in the 2005-2006 fiscal year.

The request for operations expenditures, net of offsetting revenues, exceeds the supplementary reserve reported in the 2006-2007 Main Estimates by $5 million. However, the GNWT will still remain within the guidelines set by the fiscal responsibility policy for the 2005-2006 fiscal year.

Major items included in this request for operations expenditures are:

$15 million for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs to provide contribution funding to communities pursuant to the community capacity building initiative. These contributions are funded by the federal government's Northern Strategy trust fund.

$4.3 million for increased costs resulting from the rise in fuel prices in the NWT since 2003;

$3.9 million for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs to provide contribution funding to communities for eligible infrastructure projects under the Gas Tax Agreement with the federal government.

That concludes my opening remarks. I would be pleased to answer any questions Members may have.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. At this time, I would like to ask the Minister if he would like to bring in witnesses.