Debates of March 29, 2004 (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, I'm assuming we're still talking about the $95,000 for those two contracts. Both of those are with firms in Ottawa. We're going back into something that was done in the last government. I believe that there was no formal tender for it as such, although there would have been a number of interviews with firms who have the ability to deliver on the service and expertise that was needed and it was narrowed down to two firms who, it was felt at that time, could serve our needs. We will continue to assess their usefulness for our purposes as things move along. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Hawkins, your time has expired. Is there anyone else for general comments? Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I didn't quite get the answer to my first one, and it could have been how I phrased it. If the Minister could finish with letting me know how these positions were staffed, the $100,000 devolution negotiator position, and the $50,000 research advice position. How were they staffed or how were they negotiated? Did they do research on their own, or did they put out a public tendering process? Lastly, on this particular question, why did we research and negotiate with individual companies on the $95,000 advice section, rather than calling a public tender? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, as I said earlier, the $100,000 for the negotiator for devolution, the government went out and had a look at who could perform this task for us and also be able to negotiate toe to toe with people like David Pederson, a former Premier of Ontario and a lawyer in Toronto. The government at the time would have approached a number of people. They identified one individual, a person who had been a deputy minister here for a number of years, who worked in the BC government, had good credentials, and after looking around, found that he most met our needs. As I recall, I wasn't in this department, but I recall meeting with him before he accepted the contract, and we felt he could deliver for us.

The other position for $50,000 is again a task where we needed someone who was very familiar with the inner workings of DIAND and the northern affairs program, in particular. After looking around, that arrangement was made with Hiram Beaubier who had retired as the director of the northern affairs program in the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. He was retired and no longer had ties to the department, but certainly knew it very well. So there was no tender, it was a matter of going and finding the right person who could deliver on the expertise that was needed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think I've exhausted my questions at this stage. I do have a motion so I will pause at this stage in order for anyone else with questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to move that the committee recommends that the government prepare and make public a formal response to the Auditor General's observations in findings on land claims implementation within 60 days.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question.

All those in favour? Any opposed? The motion carries.

---Carried

We are now on page 2-67, Aboriginal Affairs, operations expense.

Agreed.

Total operations expense, $8.463 million.

Agreed.

Thank you. I guess I got a little ahead of myself and the motion wasn't passed out to Members before we voted on it, but it is concluded. We are on page…We have another motion? Okay, to page 2-67, total operations expense, $8.463 million.

Agreed.

Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a committee motion.

I move that this committee recommends that the Aboriginal Affairs budget be separated into multiple activities, beginning with the 2005-2008 draft business plans.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. The motion is in order. It is being passed out, so hang in there one second. Thank you. The motion is in order.

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion carries.

---Carried

Page 2-69, Aboriginal Affairs, grants and contributions, grants, $300,000. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a motion to read.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that this committee recommends the government continue to hold to its position that incremental self-government costs are the responsibility of the federal government. And further, that the government maintains a strong position with respect to self-government implementation costs in order to ensure the GNWT does not pay costs that are the responsibility of the federal government.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The motion is being distributed. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question.

All in favour? Any opposed? The motion carries.

---Carried

We will go back to page 2-69, Aboriginal Affairs, grants and contributions, grants, $300,000.

Agreed.

Contributions, $1.650 million.

Agreed.

Total grants and contributions, $1.950 million. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a question on the contribution for the NWT Economic Development Advisory Forum. We see in the books that this group has existed for a number of years and the funding has been ongoing, and there is sharing with the federal government, as well. But I have not heard much from this group. How often do they meet and how do they produce their advice to the government and how are we, the Members on this side, informed about what they're doing with respect to our economic forecast? Thank you.

Thank you for that question, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Economic Development Advisory Forum is made up of a number of representatives, mainly from the business sector, both aboriginal and non-aboriginal business sector. They have been meeting for the past couple of years under the Intergovernmental Forum activities. They report both to the government and to the Aboriginal Summit. I have had one meeting with them. The Aboriginal Summit is just in the process of reorganizing themselves, and I have not pressed them on any changes they would want to make to the Economic Development Advisory Forum's mandate. The mandate of the forum has been largely focussed on the economic measures chapters of the land claims agreements and obligations that exist within those. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm wondering if the Premier could commit to providing us with regular reports in writing, whether the forum itself or from the government, as to what the government is hearing. I think this group advised to the Intergovernmental Forum, Aboriginal Summit, and the GNWT is part of that whole process. I would be interested in knowing what they have to say about the economic development question. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, yes, I will undertake to provide regular status reports on the activities of the forum. As I say, it does report both to us and to the Aboriginal Summit, so I will have to have their concurrence with it as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Back to page 2-70. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If the Minister could just explain the anomaly under regional reorganization and capacity building. I notice in 2002-2003 we had $40,000 being spent in that section, yet during the 2003-04 year we had no contributions, then in 2004-05 we jumped to $200,000. If he could explain why, or was it funded under a different section, or why…Did nothing happen?

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Minister. Mr. Hawkins, could we get you to clarify your question to the Minister, once again?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am referring to page 2-70 under grants and contributions, Aboriginal Affairs. The line item I'm referring to is regional reorganization and capacity building. For the 2004-2005 main estimates we have a line item of $200,000, where I noted in 2003-04 in the revised main estimates there was zero, and it notes under actual under 2002-03 $40,000. So I am looking for the reason why basically one year, why did they take the year off, or what happened, or where did they go, or was this cost under some other line items that needs to be explained? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, this one is following up on political commitments made in the Beaufort-Delta area on capacity building. Last year we did provide money to them, although it wasn't budgeted. This year we're budgeting the $200,000 to continue on with our obligations in that area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Hawkins. Back now to page 2-70, Aboriginal Affairs, total grants and contributions, $1.950 million.

Agreed.