Debates of March 30, 2004 (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. On February 24th and 25th, I met with the Chairs of the NWT education bodies, including the Chairs of the divisional education councils, the Commission Scolaire Francophone de Division, the two Yellowknife district education authorities and Aurora College.

I discussed with the Chairs the comments and suggestions made by Members of this Assembly regarding schooling. I noted that Members expressed how important schooling is to the futures of our students and our Territory.

The Chairs and I discussed a number of issues including the importance of student success and the need to focus on improving the results of our school system. During the meeting, we talked about programming offered at the high school level and many of the Chairs highlighted the need to meet the needs of all students and ensure that more students complete their studies.

We also discussed the need for an increased focus on accountability and oversight of budgets as they related to program delivery particularly with respect to special needs funding.

In addition, I shared with the Chairs, the importance of a coordinated approach to adult learning so northerners have better access to the post-secondary and skills training required to take full advantage of current and future employment opportunities.

It is important to recognize that our education system has made significant progress over the past 15 years. We now have more students graduating from high school, including an increased number of aboriginal graduates and graduates from community high schools. This growth and development is the result of the hard work by all partners in the education process, especially families and communities who recognize the importance of schooling.

Mr. Speaker, the Chairs and I have committed to meeting two times each year to ensure that we have a regular forum for sharing our ideas and our views on providing the best possible education for meeting the needs of all our students.

I thank the Chairs for their ongoing commitment to educating our children and youth and I look forward to meeting with them next November to hear their ideas, concerns and aspirations for our NWT education system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to take this opportunity to update this House on the implementation of the Waste Reduction and Recovery Act.

As Members are aware, the legislation to enable the development and implementation of waste recovery programs was passed by the 14th Legislative Assembly in October 2003. The new act establishes a framework for waste reduction programs and provides for the formation of a Waste Reduction and Recovery Advisory Committee. This committee will play a vital role in the establishment and operation of waste recovery programs developed by this government, including the proposed beverage container recovery program.

A recent call for expressions for people interested in serving on this committee was very successful. A number of qualified women and men representing industry, business, municipalities, and environmental organizations, as well as those with an avid interest in recycling from throughout the Northwest Territories, put their names forward to serve on the advisory committee.

I expect to appoint Members to the Waste Reduction and Recovery Advisory Committee within the next few weeks. It is my hope that the committee can hold its initial meeting in April when they can begin discussions on the first proposed program, the beverage container recovery program.

Mr. Speaker, the success of any waste recovery program will depend in large part on the participation and support of the residents of the Northwest Territories. I believe the Waste Reduction and Recovery Advisory Committee will be instrumental in ensuring the necessary support and participation in these worthwhile endeavours. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on March 31, 2004, the opening ceremony for the North Slave Adult Correctional Centre will take place.

This marks a significant step forward on modernizing the corrections system in the Northwest Territories. The North Slave Adult Correctional Centre will replace the 38-year-old Yellowknife Correctional Centre. The new centre will increase the ability of offenders to access appropriate programming to assist in their healing. The new centre will provide a safe and secure custody environment that supports rehabilitation.

I would like to recognize the work of the Aboriginal Advisory Group. The design of the facility and some of the programming that will be offered were shaped by their advice and guidance. We appreciate their time and their commitment to helping offenders reintegrate back into society with new positive values and skills.

I would like to invite residents to visit the new correctional centre to see it for themselves. An open house will be held from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on March 31, 2004. Tours will be available and employees will be on hand to answer questions. I encourage Members of this House and the public to tour the new facility on March 31st.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to draw attention to an issue which is both important to myself and the community which I represent and one that speaks to the ambivalence of public government to listen to the people of the North.

Mr. Speaker, this government has repeatedly stated that its actions will be governed by the will of the people. To this end, it has repeatedly shown an effort to meet with the people by means of a public consultation process. I believe that public consultation should be at the forefront of all of our actions.

Mr. Speaker, I get concerned when agencies of public government, such as the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board, refused to listen to the concerns of the public and to the community that I serve. The Mackenzie Valley pipeline project will have a major impact on this territory and will have a lasting and significant impact on my community of Hay River. I would like to take a moment to highlight just a few of the impacts this project will have on Hay River.

Mr. Speaker, there are plans for a modular fabrication camp housing 300 persons within Hay River. There will be 5,500 rail cars bringing pipe to NTCL’s barging facility. There will be another approximately 1,200 rail cars per annum carrying fuel over a five-year period. There will be some 3,000 pieces of heavy equipment railed or trucked to our community for movement to the construction camp sites. Over the construction phase, the proposed five-year camps will require 600 to 700 tons of supplies that will be staged in Hay River.

This proposed level of activity is just the tip of the iceberg, Mr. Speaker. Anyone with any vision can see that this project will have a very significant impact on the community of Hay River. Mr. Speaker, this is why I am both perplexed and concerned with the apparent lack of respect shown by the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board with their decision not to include Hay River in phase one of their environmental review process. Mr. Speaker, phase one was to be a series of public meetings designed to gather evidence of what concerns the public has and to determine which issues will be examined in detail during phase two of the review. In a document written by the MVEIRB dated February 6, 2004, it is clear Hay River will be significantly impacted.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? No, there aren’t. You have unanimous consent. Conclude your statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That being said, I am mystified why the board declined to grant the Town of Hay River the request to hold public meetings in Hay River to listen to the concerns of the community. At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister responsible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member’s statement is on the Gameti spiritual healing workshop. During our visit to the Sahtu region early in February, Mr. Henry Zoe and myself had the opportunity to speak with the Deline people who at that time were talking about a cultural exchange trip on the land to Gameti. The Deline coordinator spoke on the Dene history, the passing down of knowledge to the younger generation and the essential movement to keep the traditions alive by embarking on this trip. By fundraising and seeking support from this government and other organizations, the trip to the Gameti spiritual healing workshop became a reality.

We were witness to the event yesterday at Gameti. That is what Minister Zoe promised to the people of Deline in early February at a public meeting. He told them he would invite the Sahtu MLA and he would meet them when they arrived in Gameti. True to his word, he kept this promise. Eighty people from Deline arrived in Gameti yesterday. They were highly grateful and appreciated Minister Zoe. Mr. Speaker, I want to say mahsi cho to the Gameti organizers for their hard work, to the people of Gameti for the warm welcome and to Minister Zoe for helping make this happen. We counted over 30 skidoos arriving in Gameti. We saw at least 45 young people who had made the three-day trip to Gameti. Some of them were just 10 years old.

Mr. Speaker, we had important issues to deal with, with important changes coming our way and important decisions to make for the whole NWT. However, the most important actions we take are for our children. The looks on the children’s faces and the joy at having made this trip, Mr. Speaker, is the big picture we always talk about. Small steps taken by this government like supporting community initiatives like this have a big impact on our people. We need to see more of this. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak today about some of the points that are wrong with the way the Housing Corporation is dealing with the purchase of 22 mobile homes.

Mr. Speaker, government should follow its policies like BIP and if it’s going to exempt itself, it should provide justification on a timely basis. Government has not done that. Mr. Speaker, I might point out to you that I am not allowed to buy blank CDs from Wal-Mart out of my office budget even if it’s cheaper to buy from there because they do not fall under the BIP. So why should the Housing Corporation be allowed to buy houses from the South because they think it’s cheaper to buy south?

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Mr. Speaker, I say what’s good for the goose should be good for the gander. Mr. Speaker, we are constantly threatening the diamond mines and any business wanting to get involved in pipeline activities that they have to leave the benefits north. If the government is not willing to follow its own principle and its own policy, what right does it have to impose this principle on multinational companies?

Mr. Speaker, government has an obligation to spend their capital money in ways that maximize the benefits for the North. We have business in the North. If they get this contract, they are willing to build 22 stick built homes, not mobile homes, but they are not even going to be considered. They are willing to send journeymen from Yellowknife to communities to hire community people to do the taping, siding and painting, but government says they can’t do it. They are willing to use the trades people, electricians, plumbers and engineers, but government says nobody can do it in the North.

Mr. Speaker, if the government is going to introduce a major policy change like going from stick built houses to create jobs and then change their minds to buy mobile homes, the government has an obligation to let us know that. It is wrong for the government to use a scare tactic to the Members of this House, on this side of the floor, to say we have to break this rule and go straight on through because otherwise there will be no new homes in the communities this fall. Mr. Speaker, this decision was made months ago and we didn’t find out in this House until we read it in the newspaper and neither did the businesses who might be interested in bidding on this.

Mr. Speaker, I, for one, refuse to be treated like a mushroom in the dark expected to live on a regular dose of manure from Cabinet.

Whoa!

Mr. Speaker, where there is a major contract…Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? No, there aren’t. Conclude your statement, Ms. Lee.

Mr. Speaker, where there is a major contract, like providing 45 homes for two years, the government should first consult with northern contractors to see if anyone can do the job. The government has not done that. In fact, they have been putting off paving the way for northern businesses to discourage them. Mr. Speaker, we have a business right here in the North who could do the job on budget, on time and create jobs in the process, but not only do they not get the benefit of a BIP, they don’t even get the courtesy of prior notice and that is wrong and the government has to change that.

Mr. Speaker, our northern businesses stay in business through the good times and bad and when there is an opportunity of a real project that they can sink their teeth into, those projects are allowed to float right over their heads, straight down south and the Cabinet sits around justifying it.

Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I know what you would say if the Fort McPherson Tent and Canvas Shop were denied a contract to manufacture 100 mega-sized tents because it is cheaper to get them done in China and not even be given the chance to look into the project. So, Mr. Speaker, I know that you would not stand for it. You would hold the House down for a week to stop it, and I don’t think we should allow this to happen, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to utilize my Member’s statement today so that I can again bring up a topic that has been heavily discussed in this House over the last week. The topic is the tender for 22 mobile homes, which are to be sent to various communities throughout the Territories. The tender was issued by the Housing Corporation and closes this Friday, April 2nd.

Mr. Speaker, I have some very serious concerns with the evolution of this tender, the decision-making process on how and why the business incentive policy was waived on this has not, to date, been fully explained to this House. This causes me and some of my colleagues a great deal of consternation. Waiving the BIP on this tender is one issue, Mr. Speaker. The other issue is the fact that this government has given direction to the Housing Corporation which effectively pulls the rug out from any made-in-the-North solution to community housing needs in the NWT. I have not been given a clear answer yet on when the decision was made to not consult with northern manufacturers. At the very least, Mr. Speaker, the government should table a chronology of events on how, what and when things transpired to arrive at the decisions that they’ve made. As I understand it, the Housing Corporation has been in contact and consulting with southern manufacturers for the past six months. Mr. Speaker, this would lead me to believe that the direction to exclude the northern manufacturers was predetermined. Waiving the BIP is further proof that the government really has no intention of supporting the northern manufacturing sector.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that this is the perfect example of a government that, like the last government, talks out of both sides of its mouth. They talk about how important it is to diversify our economy, create jobs in the communities, train young people and grow community capacity, but when given a fine opportunity to work with northern manufacturing firms to find a solution that fits our territory, the issue of tender…That, in my mind, flies directly in the face of what we as a government are trying to accomplish.

Mr. Speaker, the lack of consideration on the part of this government in this whole thing is shameful. Does this government support northern manufacturing or not? Judging by their actions to date, I would suggest they don’t. Like my colleague, Ms. Lee, from Range Lake, I know we have the capacity here in the Northwest Territories to accomplish this tender. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the last two weeks, I have raised several issues related to the economic stability of the Northwest Territories, encouraging the Minister of Finance to look at several tax measures that would be a benefit to the investment in our territory. Mr. Speaker, my researchers have found several interesting items that should intrigue the imagination of our government; none more so than an article on economic development in the Edmonton Journal, dated March 25th.

Mr. Speaker, I quote from the article, “Ireland is the poster child for success, going from one of the poorest economies to one of the richest in two decades.” It seems to relate to our own economy. “It combined an attractive corporate tax culture with education to produce skilled workers for the companies that set up shop there." The article also states that, “an investment tax credit works better than grants and tax breaks since the latter leads to more failures than successes.”

Mr. Speaker, I did, on several occasions, raise the important issue of taxation to facilitate spending and vocational training in the North. Mr. Speaker, knowing that this government is beginning a process of developing a working group on a joint pipeline committee, I would offer that they build into their mandate a component that would address a tax regime. This tax regime could be modeled after the investment tax credit which could be used to reward spending money in the territory and can be broadly available to all industries.

Mr. Speaker, during this budget session we’ve heard loudly that the federal government will not readdress our fiscal situation. The Premier has stated this, so did the Finance Minister, and so did the Minister of Health and Social Services. They were also on record as saying this as well. It is time our Premier and his Cabinet come to introduce some new ideology on tax reform as an indication to the federal government that we are serious about our sovereignty issues. I hope that they will take some of our ideas and, over the course of time, begin to look at implementing some of these suggestions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my topic today is to ask an obvious question. What is the BIP? It’s the business incentive policy, Mr. Speaker, but really what does that mean? It is to create a level playing field whereby we formally acknowledge that, tucked well within the beauty of our northern fresh air, our friendly-spirited environment, the government recognizes simple factors that need to be considered; obvious factors, Mr. Speaker, such as a jug of milk here costs more than it does in Calgary, and a kilowatt isn’t as cheap as it is in Edmonton. Mr. Speaker, labour comes at a premium higher than it does in Fort McMurray. These are key principles that require corrective solutions and proactive steps. That is why we have the BIP.

Mr. Speaker, the BIP is intended to bring simple baseline market levels closer together so our businesses can compete with southern industries, national industries. Mr. Speaker, by waiving the BIP we could be affecting those who potentially are going to be taxed higher, so we are taking opportunity away from them but the government is asking us to support their corporate tax increase. It seems kind of strange to me. Mr. Speaker, waiving the BIP to me is a slap in the face of the principles it stands for. All I am going to suggest is that those who are responsible for slapping these people in the face save some energy in your arm to wave goodbye to our good, hard-earned money. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This morning, I received a copy of a letter by the director of client services of Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services Authority, from the office of the Honourable Minister, Michael Miltenberger, Minister of Health and Social Services, advising of the temporary closure of the Holman health centre. The closure of the health centre commenced on March 26, 2004, and is expected to last until April 15, 2004.

Mr. Speaker, during this time the health centre will be closed. There will be no clinics; however, a nurse will be available for emergencies only. No clients can call any hospital emergency room department. In my Member’s statement on January 20, 2004, I voiced the exact same concerns about health and staffing services in that riding. I understand the department is having a difficult time recruiting nurses in the Northwest Territories. The reduction in services is continuing to be a problem. The residents of Holman should no longer have to be the ones who suffer a reduction in health services simply because their community is hard to staff.

Mr. Speaker, when will the Department of Health and Social Services find a solution to ensure the staffing requirements are met in Holman or, Mr. Speaker, will the department wait until something happens to a person before they take action? I will be following up with the Department of Health and Social Services on health care staffing shortages in that riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I, too, rise and I would like to talk about the business incentive policy. That is of great concern to residents and businesses I represent in the Nahendeh riding. They have indicated to me that they want the BIP enforced and used at all times. It was put into place to recognize the high costs of our northern contractors who have to endure year-round costs where southern competitors don’t pay taxes here or have overhead. The North is a great place to live, but if we don’t keep and utilize the business incentive program, the whole of the NWT will just become a satellite community for southern companies.

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Government is supposed to work for the good of our people and here is an example of a good program being put by the wayside. If the business incentive policy is costing the government money, they have yet to show us.

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If this is true, then we will have to revisit how we best support and affirm our businesses by our business incentive policy. Mahsi cho.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, along with a couple of my colleagues, I would like to speak about the business incentive policy in relation to importing mobile home units. Everyone knows that the cost of doing business in the North is higher. In order to create a more level playing field while at the same time developing our northern economy, our government decided that it was worth the price of a potential monetary premium to see jobs and money stay in the North.

The difficulty is that the financial resources are tight. There is a temptation to jump to the conclusion that, without the BIP, our purchase of goods and services and homes will go further. Mr. Speaker, I don’t think that northern suppliers and manufacturers were given the advantage of turning their mind to the supply of these 22 units that have been discussed extensively in this House over the past few days. Yet, had the same effort been applied to dialogue with northerners to find a northern solution to this need, I think the results might have been quite substantial. It is quite a leap to go from stick built homes built on site in communities, which was something this government has insisted on for many years, to imported modular or mobile housing units.

We don’t know, Mr. Speaker, if we are actually saving anything. Because the benefits of buying north are not easy to quantify, we fall into the mindset that everything from the South is cheaper and better. I don’t agree with that. In our harsh conditions here in the North, where temperatures can range easily from 30 below to 30 above, a better investment of our scarce resources might have been more prudently spent on a northern product. Not to mention the benefits of keeping jobs and incomes in the North.

Mr. Speaker, I realize that it may not be possible to pull back the tender of these 22 units and still meet the pressing needs for these units in the communities that are now expecting them in a timely manner. But, I think the message to the government should be that in the future, before we spend an inordinate amount of time on how we could defend diverging from our current procurement policies, we invest an equal or greater amount of time in consulting northerners about how we could efficiently and cost-effectively deal with the need of affordable housing while adhering to this government’s philosophy of building capacity, creating jobs and economy here in the North.

As one of my colleagues alluded to, we spend a lot of energy convincing large corporate clients to be good citizens. Mr. Speaker, we need to lead by example, be good corporate citizens, and practice what we preach. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am going to raise the important issue relevant to seniors and the contributions they make to our society. I met with the Seniors’ Society last week here in Yellowknife and also another elders’ committee from Lutselk’e yesterday.

Although these meetings were bound together under different circumstances, the underlying points raised during these discussions were very similar: issues pertaining to health services, acute and outpatient care, and community health representation, just to name a few, and many other issues related to housing and seniors’ and elders’ involvement in our education system. Mr. Speaker, the role of this demographic sector of our society cannot be undermined by our fiscal restraints, resource development and devolution issues. I don’t think there is any other sector of our society which can make such a priceless contribution towards improving community support and assisting youth and other seniors through increased volunteerism and community involvement.

Mr. Speaker, I feel that organizations like the NWT Seniors’ Society and community elders’ committees should be given equal consideration by this government on all fronts related to their work, their health and their cultures and especially their relentless dedication and support that they have for us, their MLAs, to make their lives more meaningful and enjoyable and, more importantly, more memorable like those many other lives that they touch and improve every day. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A few days ago in this Assembly, we learned that Cabinet has approved the forgiveness of $800,000 in taxpayers’ money due to a business deal that we went into not working out. Even though we had adequate protection for the taxpayers’ money, Cabinet made a decision to forego it. In more recent days, we learned that a major policy of this government, the business incentive policy, was dodged in favour of an assumption that only a southern product could be brought into the North on an economic basis. The signals that our government is sending to the business community, Mr. Speaker, are very confusing. They are destabilizing, inconsistent and, above all, they lack what is very important to any government, and that is good faith and integrity.

We are partners. We espouse this. We have fostered this attitude, but we are not living up to it. We are putting to the test the faith and the trust of our partners in the business community by such inconsistent application of our policies. Mr. Speaker, our economy, the way we manage it, is evolving, and so should our policies and the way we conduct business ourselves. We need to be open and transparent in the way we do this. We need to make sure that our rules and our principles are out there all the time for everyone to see and that we live up to them. The business community asks for nothing more than a level playing field, and we are not delivering. Where are the rules? The message that we are sending is that the exception is the rule, and that is unacceptable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recognize someone very important in my life, a most important teacher, my mother, Laura Lennie.

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Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to also recognize the members of the Northwest Territories Suicide Prevention Steering Committee in the gallery with us today. They have been meeting in Yellowknife with the trainers for the last two days and are responsible for overseeing the three-week Northwest Territories suicide prevention training program and other territorial suicide prevention. This year, we have with us Sandy Little, the chairperson from Health and Social Services; Hazel Nerysoo from Fort McPherson; Helen Gruben from Tuktoyaktuk; Laura Lennie from Tulita; Judy Desjarlais from Yellowknife; Carole Lane from Yellowknife; and the trainers are Frank Hope from Inuvik; Frank Edwards from Inuvik; Linda Todd from Yellowknife; and Hazel Nerysoo, who does double duty as a trainer as well. I would like to ask you to join me in welcoming them to the Assembly and thank them for their good work.

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Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize one of my constituents, Mr. Ernie Smith. He is also a band councillor from Rae-Edzo. Welcome to the House. Thank you.

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Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure this afternoon to recognize Frank Sambo with whom I have a long history of friendship. As well, we were team mates in the 1989 canoe race at Aklavik and the winning team. Mr. McLeod was also representing Fort Providence. As well, I’d like to recognize Mr. Frank Pope, also a fellow Inuvik resident. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Item 5, 5ecognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I’m honoured to recognize two constituents: Carole Lane and Major Karen Hoeft. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to recognize Mr. Frank Pope, a former Fort Simpson resident now residing in Inuvik. Thank you very much.

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Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I’d like to recognize a constituent of mine, Susan Nerysoo, sub-chief, and also Frank Edwards, a former constituent of mine now living in Inuvik. Welcome to the House.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I stated in my Member’s statement, there are some concerns from my area with the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board and the round of consultations that they’re doing. I would like to ask the Minister of RWED if he is aware of the concerns that Hay River has with that board not coming to Hay River to do some reviews. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 109-15(3): Involvement Of Hay River In The Pipeline Consultation Process