Debates of March 31, 2004 (day 12)

Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of the term of the 15th Legislative Assembly, the 19 Members of the Legislative Assembly agreed that a new approach is needed to develop our agenda and statement of priorities. Members rejected the old method of developing an agenda based solely on our views, and in isolation of other governments in the Northwest Territories. Members felt that it was critical that we embark on a new way of doing business that emphasized partnership and collaboration.

We have started off with informal meetings to explore ideas about the setting of priorities. Discussion focused on how the Members of this Assembly might reach out to the public more effectively and build partnerships with other northern governments and stakeholder groups. As a Legislative Assembly, we are determined to find ways to open up the lines of communication with all northern residents.

As a beginning, Members felt it was important to bring leaders together to exchange views and create a foundation for understanding and working together. In January, I joined the Chair of the Caucus, Mr. Kevin Menicoche, in announcing that leaders from across the North would be invited to a northern leaders meeting in Hay River in April.

Since that time, the planning for this meeting has gone very well. A planning committee chaired by Mr. Menicoche, and including representatives from aboriginal governments, the Northwest Territories Association of Communities and the government was established to oversee the process.

I am pleased to say that representatives from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Gwich’in Tribal Council, Sahtu Dene Council, Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated, Tlicho Treaty 11 Tribal Council, Akaitcho Dene First Nations, Northwest Territories Metis Nation, North Slave Metis Alliance, Deh Cho First Nations, Dene Nation and the Northwest Territories Association of Communities have all confirmed their participation at this meeting.

Mr. Speaker, the meeting will be held at the Chief Lamalice Complex on the Hay River Reserve from April 6 to 8. The meeting will be ably chaired by two distinguished northerners: Mr. Jim Antoine, a long-time

Member of this House and a former Premier of the Northwest Territories; and Joanne Barnaby, a former executive director of the Dene Cultural Institute and a resident of Hay River.

Mr. Speaker, this meeting is another important step in establishing productive partnerships with other northern leaders. We are very excited about the potential this meeting holds for leaders throughout the Northwest Territories to have a full and open discussion about the challenges and opportunities that face all governments in our territory. We hope these discussions will lead to an ongoing partnership between the various governments in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon I would like to call the Assembly’s attention to the important work that CARS observer-communicators do to maintain safe and reliable air transportation at our community airports.

The community aerodrome radio station program, better known as CARS, provides essential weather and runway information to the aircraft and pilots serving our small communities. In recognition of the contribution that the observer-communicators make to safe air navigation in and out of our community airports, the Department of Transportation presents awards every year for the CARS station of the year and the observer-communicator of the year. A few weeks ago, the department announced the awards for 2003.

The award for the CARS station of the year went to the staff at the Fort Simpson airport. The Fort Simpson CARS service operates 24 hours a day assisting the air traffic at the Fort Simpson Island Airport and the Fort Simpson Territorial Airport. After Fort Smith and Hay River, the Fort Simpson airport is the third busiest CARS site in the Northwest Territories. The 2003 Station of the Year Award went to Josh Chappin, April Bell, Tim Brown, Jermaine Gargan and Jay Koldhis of Fort Simpson.

The Observer-Communicator Award for 2003 went to Nancy Zoe. Nancy was the only trained observer-communicator in Gameti for much of 2003 and through her diligent efforts kept the CARS site operating. Nancy’s commendable dedication to the CARS service at Gameti deserves recognition.

Mr. Speaker, were it not for the commitment and effort of the CARS observers-communicators, our communities would not have the dependable scheduled air services that they make possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mr. Speaker, North American Occupational Safety and Health Week will be held from May 2nd to 8th of this year. The goal is to focus the attention of employers, workers, the general public and all partners in occupational safety and health on the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace and at home. North American Occupational Safety and Health Week was first launched in June 1997 marked by an agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico.

For many years, responsibility for Occupational Safety and Health Week related activities in the North fell to the Workers’ Compensation Board. Five years ago, the WCB extended an invitation to business, labour and government to join in promoting this important event. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report this partnership has proven to be very successful. These organizations, along with members of a youth committee, have brought fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the events and it continues to grow in importance.

The theme for this year’s Occupational Safety and Health Week, “Build a Safe Beginning,” draws attention to the ever present need for ongoing training in the workplace. This is especially critical in the North with our young and ever increasing workforce.

Mr. Speaker, the 2004 organizing and youth committees have several exciting events planned: an employer contest, video lunches and safety demonstrations to name a few. I encourage all Members to get involved in North American Occupational Safety and Health Week this year and strengthen their commitment to occupational safety and health. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to use my Member’s statement to speak about the upcoming circle of northern leaders meeting being held on the Hay River Reserve. This is a new idea on the part of our government. The intent is to engage other northern leaders by including them in helping us set our agenda for the next four years.

There is a lot going on in our territory on many fronts. We are on the verge of changes in governance as some aboriginal governments take on new roles and responsibilities in their regions. There is much activity on the economic front as we prepare for major development in the resource sector. Other sectors of our economy are also growing. It is incumbent on this government as much as is in our power to ensure that capacity building, and the realization of socioeconomic and political development be as consistent across our territory as possible. It’s an exercise in managing our resources in a way that ensures opportunity and support to northerners through our programs and services in a fair and equitable manner. No one and no region can be overlooked.

As we prepare to meet with other northern leaders in Hay River next week, we will consider the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the North. We will contemplate what is to be gained by approaching these challenges and opportunities in a unified way as it relates to our common interests on behalf of the people we represent. I am of the opinion that there is much to be gained by working together, showing respect for each others' respective mandates and aspirations. If we can stay focused on the fact that what we do is not about us but about the people we represent, I think we will make progress. All of the people in the Northwest Territories have common needs with respect to their well-being and their right to prosper. Mr. Speaker, prosperity is not just about money, it is about wellness, self-reliance and dignity. I am looking forward to working with other northern leaders on behalf of our constituents, and I hope that a good spirit of cooperation and understanding are outcomes of our meeting when we get together in Hay River next week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Beaufort-Delta Divisional Education Council youth entry level skills program, known as YELS, was established a number of years ago. YELS and the oil and gas companies sponsor a six-week program in the NWT and Alberta. This program offers an opportunity for high school students to learn about the oil and gas industry.

Mr. Speaker, YELS and ConocoPhillips sponsored five students from the Beaufort-Delta to tour the ConocoPhillips Wembley Gas Plant in Grande Prairie, Alberta, this year. I am proud to say that two students from our home community of Tuktoyaktuk were chosen to attend the program. They are Margaret Noksana, and Paul Steen. Some of the Members in this Chamber today may remember Paul Steen as he was a Page in the 14th Legislative Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, Margaret Noksana was kind enough to provide my constituency assistant with the following information on the recent trip to Grande Prairie. They departed for Grande Prairie on March 7th and returned on March 12, 2004. Day one, tour of the Wembley Gas Plant, safety orientation, engineer orientation; day two,…(inaudible)…production, safety meetings, went to see some small pumps, saw how oil and water are separated; day three, further tour of gas plant, watched oil and gas movies; day four, tour of the regional college in Grande Prairie.

Mr. Speaker, during this tour Ms. Noksana indicated that she met a lot of nice people. Ms. Noksana and Mr. Steen enjoyed their trip very much. Without the assistance of YELS and ConocoPhillips, these students would not have been able to travel south to get a firsthand experience of the oil and gas industry.

Mr. Speaker, oil and gas exploration plays an important part for employment and business opportunities in the Beaufort-Delta. Students involved in the YELS program see firsthand the importance of education and may decide to find a trade in the oil and gas field as engineers and gas plant operators et cetera. Therefore, I would encourage Ms. Noksana and Mr. Steen to complete their education, and take advantage of whatever opportunities are available to them.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank YELS and ConocoPhillips on providing students such as Ms. Noksana and Mr. Steen with an opportunity to explore the oil and gas industry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to deliver a good news story today on the successes of the trades program currently being offered at Diamond Jenness Secondary School in Hay River. Mr. Speaker, there are a number of valuable trades orientated programs currently being offered to Diamond Jenness students. There is a mechanics program, a welding program, a housing construction program, and the schools north apprenticeship program.

Mr. Speaker, the mechanics program is a new program that exposes students to auto mechanics. Local mechanic, Mr. Norm Gour, has for the past seven months and continues to donate his time on a volunteer basis to the success of this program. Under his guidance, students participate in classroom demonstrations, activities and community field trips. Corporate sponsorship from both Kingland Ford and Bumper to Bumper have been instrumental in the success of this program.

The welding program, Mr. Speaker, is in its second year, and has doubled in size and stature. Students participate in classroom demonstrations, welding activities, and community field trips. Sponsorship from NTCL and the Canadian Coastguard have greatly contributed to the success of this program.

Mr. Speaker, the housing program is a successful partnership between the NWT Housing Corporation and the school. Students participate in hands-on construction of residential housing units. Local tradespersons who specialize in carpentry, drywalling, painting, electrical, plumbing, heating, cabinetry and floor covering instruct students, and all hours donated by these trades people are strictly on a volunteer basis. Approximately 3,800 student hours are donated yearly to this extremely valuable program.

Another program currently being offered, Mr. Speaker, is the schools north apprenticeship program. This program involves a partnership between the students, Education, Culture and Employment, Diamond Jenness and our local businesses. Sponsorship includes Kingland Manufacturing, Kingland Ford, Bumper to Bumper and Poison Painting.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to give a tremendous credit at this time to the efforts of Mr. Tim Borchuk the shop teacher at Diamond Jenness, and Mr. John Ashcroft, who have been hired to oversee the shop students. The tremendous vision shown by these two men in maintaining the trades program is to be commended. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent to conclude your statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, the Housing Corporation’s sponsorship of the housing program has resulted in allowing DJSS to diversify its trades program. If it were not for their assistance, the school would not be able to offer the housing program, the welding program, or the welder mechanics program.

I would just like to propose that there is more work to be done. Our high school is 30 years old and has not been updated to reflect the needs of the growing NWT economy. With the growing needs for skilled trades persons and the implementation of the career technology studies program, our current facility is maximized. Mr. Speaker, an expanded facility and increased funding for instruction at Diamond Jenness will not only satisfy the current demands, but will allow for expansion into the pre-trades education. Mr. Speaker, I will continue to work to ensure that this becomes a reality. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are 170 licensed liquor establishments in the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker. By far, the vast majority of these are well-run establishments necessary to our communities, to our hospitality industry that provide jobs. About five percent of them, at the most, cause our problems. In the last two years alone, we’ve had two deaths in Yellowknife attributed to situations and incidents in bars. Other serious incidents are on record in Hay River and Inuvik. Our Liquor Licensing Board, under the chairmanship of Mr. John Simpson, has, in recent months, undertaken very proactive and responsible measures and enforced compliance among these few establishments with the standards that are already in our laws.

However, these very welcome changes in approach have generated considerable negative reaction from some sectors. Most disappointing is that in the words of Mr. Simpson, our own government has not signalled its support. Mr. Simpson, regrettably, has tendered his resignation because he doesn’t feel that he has the backing of our governing authority which is our Department of Finance. In fact, in a conversation with Mr. Simpson this morning, and in direct answer to my question, “Are you being interfered with or hobbled in your actions by this government,” he answered without hesitation, “Totally.”

Minister Roland, the Minister of Finance, in a news report this morning, said, “The board is quasi-judicial and is a ruler. It makes judgments on establishments for breaking the rules that are there. So it is very difficult for them to go into the social aspect of it and try to expand its mandate." But, there is a disturbing contrast, Mr. Speaker, between the Minister’s approach and that of Mr. Justice Ted Richard, who wrote in the decision in August 2002, about a board ruling. Mr. Justice Richard said, “Considerations which focus on public safety and public peace are consistent with the purpose of the Liquor Act and the intention of the Legislature.”

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

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent to conclude your statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. So between the Minister responsible for managing liquor in the Northwest Territories and the judiciary, we have a dramatic difference -- I would say a grand canyon, Mr. Speaker -- in how we manage and enforce our laws. It is long overdue that we resolve these issues with a full-scale revamping and modernization of our antiquated liquor legislation. It should go beyond just the issues surrounding this board, but it should also go into many other areas that are impacted by the way we manage alcohol. In the meantime, Mr. Speaker, I support the direction and the approach taken by the board and hope that it will continue with some support at least from this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about the GNWT budgeting process. Mr. Speaker, since I was elected MLA, I have not seen regular Members have direct input into the government budgeting process. I was thinking to myself last night about the process and possible ways to better improve the system so that regular Members have their direct input. As a regular Member, I can see that we are the ones who have to answer to the people of our ridings. As things are now, to do that, I have to ask questions relating to the budget process and how the government plans to allocate the monies and in which direction it will flow and for what length of time. I believe that regular Members should have a say in the departmental budget reviews throughout the year or prior to the budget’s session when concrete budget plans are announced.

Mr. Speaker, as the MLA for Nahendeh, and since the budget speech at the beginning of this session, I have been questioned by a number of my constituents as to why this was done and why that was not done and why was this taken out and why wasn’t this taken into consideration; questions that I am sure will be followed up with letters which I will then be passing on to the appropriate departments that I will be questioning myself.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that if the MLAs were involved in the budget-making process before and, of course, during the business planning stage, a lot of unnecessary constituency complaints could be avoided. I believe that regular Members are as much part of the government decision-making process and are just as accountable to their constituents as the government is to the people of the NWT. Mr. Speaker, regular Members should be consulted more regularly throughout the year on how the government plans to budget their monies and what areas will be affected or not affected. Mahsi Cho.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is on affordable housing in the Sahtu. Mr. Speaker, we are all aware of the communities across the Northwest Territories that need more adequate, suitable and affordable housing. Housing in the communities is crucial today. The situation in the Sahtu is no exception. The lack of affordable housing in my constituency affects people across the board; elders, families and single people. Residents are suffering from overcrowded housing and many houses are in desperate need of major repairs. Not too long ago, Mr. Speaker, I learned about a Fort Good Hope elder who was living in a condemned house. Mr. Speaker, we can and must do more.

What I would like to see, Mr. Speaker, is a strategy in the Sahtu that takes into account people’s needs and interests. We need to do something different here. We need a unique response to the particular needs of the people in the Sahtu and other regions. My personal experience tells me that pride in one’s home is an important part of breaking the cycle of dependency. I see no better way to develop pride and self-sufficiency than owning one’s own home. I can say this from personal experience, having built a log house in my youth.

The 2004 NWT housing needs survey is due out any day. I look forward to reading it, Mr. Speaker, although I am afraid to confirm what I already know from what I see when I go to the communities in the Sahtu and what my constituents tell me. The issue of the BIP has been on my mind for some time and the intent of waiving the BIP. The point I am making in this House, Mr. Speaker, is we need housing in the Sahtu and this is what the communities are looking for from this government. I have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to use my Member’s statement today to draw attention to an area of our economy that does not always get the respect it deserves. That area is tourism, Mr. Speaker.

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I believe that the Government of the Northwest Territories has to get serious about tourism and the way we market and promote our territory to Canada and the rest of the world. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Arctic Tourism Association carries the mandate from this government to promote and market the Northwest Territories. This organization should be recognized for the onerous job they have been providing the tourism industry in our territory. Mr. Speaker, they provide this service with a skeleton staff of four and which, along with the overall budget of $1.8 million, happens to be the smallest in Canada.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, Nunavut, with no roads, less on-the-ground infrastructure, and product, has a greater budget for tourism than the Northwest Territories. The government in the Yukon has just boosted their tourism budget by $1.3 million which, by the way, amounts to our entire marketing budget, Mr. Speaker.

I wanted to recognize the job that Mr. Jim Peterson, the president, has done in the last 15 months in turning this organization around. Also, Mr. Speaker, the other two key employees at Northwest Territories Arctic Tourism, the executive director, Mr. David Grindley, and communications director, Brian Desjardins, also deserve a great deal of recognition for the job they have been doing.

Mr. Speaker, tourism often gets lost in the shuffle at RWED. It has diamonds, oil, gas, and other mineral developments to compete with. We must pay more attention to this growing and exciting segment of our economy. It is sustainable development. It helps diversify our resource-based economy. I am looking forward to going through the business planning process in the months ahead and any anticipated restructuring of the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, to see if we can’t find some creative ways to get more funding and support to an organization that has demonstrated that it deserves the respect and support for this government. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent to conclude.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have so much to offer visitors to our territory such as hunting, fishing, aurora viewing, other outdoor activities, cultural events, festivals and a natural beauty that, Mr. Speaker, rivals anything on our planet. The budget process has concluded this week. I just wanted to mention to the other Members of this House that I do hope we, as a group, can soon set our priorities so that we can give this industry, the 800 jobs and the $50 million it adds to our economy, the attention that it rightly deserves. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to follow up on the Member for Kam Lake’s statement because mine is similar in context. I would like to begin my Member’s statement by using a descriptive phrase we trappers grew up with. In March, as we were told by our grandparents, the weather is supposed to be roaring like a lion and go out like a lamb. I was told this morning that my constituency in Inuvik has been the reverse this year. It came in like a lamb and it is now going out like a lion. Mr. Speaker, I raise this important issue as someone who is normally on the land, trapping muskrats, getting wind burnt, getting a good suntan at this time of year.

Mr. Speaker, there are a tremendous number of local stories told about an elder in the Mackenzie Delta during the muskrat trapping season, none of which is allowed to be retold in this Assembly. But since this is an important time of year for our trappers in the Mackenzie Delta, including my riding of Inuvik Twin Lakes, I am going to take this opportunity to send my annual muskrat trapping greetings to the following people: Edward and Jeannie Lennie, Sam and Margaret Lennie, Roger and Rose Anne, you know who they are, Big Johnny and his partner, Gilligan and Rhoda, Big Ben, just to name a few who are going to be referred to by their nicknames, Mr. Speaker. I want to leave the last for the best, and that is none other than my cousin Ian McLeod, the trapper extraordinaire in his own right. I just wanted to let the people know that I will be joining them within the next two weeks so we can trap the…(inaudible)…Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are a couple of events happening that I would like to make mention of here before heading back home. One, Mr. Speaker, is that the Inuvik Ice Devils hockey team an oldtimer’s hockey team from Inuvik has just traveled down to Ottawa to take part in the 2004 World Cup. This event is an event of oldtimers’ teams from across Canada and international teams as well. Mr. Speaker, if I wasn’t in this forum, in this arena, I would be joining the team and hopefully helping them along. But I am wishing that they are successful. They have already had a couple of games, and they play one more today. I hope they are successful and represent us well there.

On another issue of sporting, Mr. Speaker, is the annual event in the Mackenzie Delta area, in Inuvik. It is the 47th annual Muskrat Jamboree which takes in a lot of different sporting events: dog team races, skidoo races, children’s events, log sawing, nail pounding, to name a few. Mr. Speaker, this year, the Muskrat Jamboree committee has dedicated this event to the elders past and present and reminds us all to respect our elders as we go about the activities. I hope to be home and watching a lot of events that occur at the 47th annual Muskrat Jamboree. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise on our last day of this session to talk to you about one of the important issues. I was going to talk to you earlier about issues such as tourism and the fact that this government treats tourism almost like an ugly cousin who is twice removed. But, today, I want to finish this session with the way I started it, to talk to you about legal aid.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that this government could be doing better. Mr. Speaker, I believe that we have good people working out there who make legal aid happen. I believe we have dedicated people who are not being compensated fairly for what they do, but they do it because they take pride in the service that they do and the fact that they know people out there need help. The Minister has recognized this. The Minister has even pointed out that we are only funded at 50 percent. The fact is that he is not exactly sure how long it has been since there has been growth on the government’s side of contribution, and he has committed to get back to this House on that measure.

Mr. Speaker, it has also been brought to the attention of this House the fact that annual reports have finally made it to the light of day in this Assembly. We are still absent of one that is only a year late. If we can wait for one that was seven years late, I guess I can wait for one that is only one year late. Mr. Speaker, I cannot tell you enough that this is a frustrating issue. At this rate, I am going to have to wait until something freezes over before we obviously get some serious action knocking at our door.

Mr. Speaker, I have brought to the attention of the House earlier in this Assembly that it is now seven months since this person consulted with legal aid to get their application started, but yet they are still waiting to get a maintenance order, custody order, or divorce in place. There are many issues as well as safety that are always mentioned as a concern for that family. I called for action, yet I have heard none.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I am going to say that I have brought this to the attention of the House, yet very little action has been seen. Therefore, I will be grabbing the reins and whipping these horses. I am going to start calling my own consultations with our community because, if this government doesn’t act, somebody needs to take responsibility on this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I want to acknowledge the tremendous contribution to literacy that the Lutselk’e Dene School Literacy Committee has achieved over the past year. Mr. Speaker, the Lutselk’e Dene School Literacy Committee comprises members which include Ms. Dawn Thompson, Miss Jenny English, Miss Doris Bruno, Miss Eleanor Young, and Mr. Geoff Bunckle. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents, my colleagues and the people of the NWT, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to these individuals who have volunteered their time in making a worthwhile difference for the students and members of the Lutselk’e community and for their outstanding commitment to literacy.

I say kudos to the members of this literacy committee for their achievements and being recognized as recipients of the 2003-2004 Ministerial Literacy Award. This award is awarded to individuals or organizations that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to improving personal levels of literacy and have worked to promote and foster literacy within their community.

That being said, Mr. Speaker, I encourage these members to proudly display this literacy recognition certificate in the Lutselk’e Dene School so that all students, staff and parents can not only realize the true value of literacy, but also the value of volunteerism, dedication and hard work in contributing to the well-being of our communities. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight two things that are terribly wrong with the way the Housing Corporation and the Cabinet have exempted themselves from its own BIP. Mr. Speaker, first of all, it’s the lack of input from the regular Members and a major shift in a government policy. Not just the exemption from the BIP, but the major change in the long-held policy of the Housing Corporation. For the entire period of its life, Mr. Speaker, the corporation has insisted on stick built homes rather than mobile homes. This was changed and maybe there was a good reason for this, but it has wider implications and I think we ought to have had a collective say on that. This is something we ought to be given not only prior notice of, but a real opportunity for input.

I’m quite offended that we were sent a letter at the same time the letters and press release went out to the public. I have to ask you, Mr. Speaker, are we a consensus government or not? Who’s running this government anyway? Are the regular Members going to have any input or say on such a major policy shift?

Mr. Speaker, the second issue I have with this is the role of the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development and the department or lack thereof. The Minister responsible -- this is the department and Minister responsible for the BIP and maximizing economic development in the North -- in answering questions says over and over that there was a balancing act of providing the badly needed housing to professionals in communities in the most cost-effective way possible. But in doing the cost-benefit analysis I have to ask what information did the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development bring to the Cabinet table about the loss-of-opportunity cost in sending these projects south?

Mr. Speaker, questions like the benefit of all the money the department spends on giving loans and guarantees to the businesses who could do this work. The benefit of all the transfer payments we get from the federal government for having people and businesses live and work here. That finances our whole government budget. The benefit of the money businesses and people put into our local economy from working and living here, and what about the taxes they pay? What about the community services and donations that these people and their businesses make to our local charities? What about the benefit of the reduced social cost from people getting jobs from these projects in the North?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I finally received a package from the Housing Corporation about how cheap…Mr. Speaker, may I get unanimous consent to conclude my statement? Thank you.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent to conclude your statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, my colleagues. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we finally received the package from the Housing Corporation about how cheap they can buy 22 mobile homes at factory cost from down south. Well, Mr. Speaker, I could have done that. I could have just called the number and got the costs. I would certainly expect that Cabinet will make decisions like this on the basis of more comprehensive information and cost-benefit analysis.

Just yesterday we approved the government budget and RWED got $83 million and PYs of 480 people. I know that somewhere in there that department has economists and business advisors. I would suggest to the Minister of RWED that he puts them to work and gets them to start crunching the real numbers and have them ready for the Cabinet meeting tomorrow morning. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, (Translation) I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the seven Pages who served this House in the last three days. These students are constituents of mine from Chief Jimmy Bruneau Regional High School in Edzo and were selected by Principal Rita Mueller with their hard work and dedication shown in their studies. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank these following students: Kevin Crookedhand, Cassandra Camsell, Tia Marissa Gon, Rambo MacKenzie, Mandy Mantla, John Paul Rabesca and Ernest Smith for a job well done.

I’d like to welcome these Pages here for this week and I wish to see them back here and hope to see if they will be at the Youth Parliament we will be holding in May. For the Pages, I’d like to thank you all; the ones that were here earlier and during session and the ones that have gone back home to their communities. Thank you very much and we look forward to seeing you back here again. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my statement today I addressed the area of the Liquor Licensing Board so my questions are for the Minister of Finance who has responsibility for that area. I contrasted a statement by the Minister in which -- I’m paraphrasing here -- he indicated that it’s difficult for the board to go into social aspects in expanding its mandate. Yet a judge of our court indicated that considerations, which focus on public safety and public peace that are consistent within the purpose of the Liquor Act and the intention of the legislature. My question for the Minister, Mr. Roland, is can the Minister explain the discrepancy between his views on the matter and that of the judiciary? Thank you.

Minister responsible for the Liquor Licensing Board, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 120-15(3): A New Liquor Act For The Northwest Territories

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think in responding to that question we should look at more than just one very small section of what was stated in that ruling. In fact, there’s an area that refers to the enactment of the Liquor Act as an exercise of the legislature of its authority to make laws in relation to property and civil rights and also in relation to intoxicants. There are a number of factors there. By the language of the act in section 6(2) and section 13 in particular, the legislature intended to give broad discretion to the Liquor Licensing Board, section 6.2(2) subject to this act, the board shall control (a) the conduct of licence holders; (b) the management of equipment of licensed premises; and, (c) the conditions under which liquor may be sold or consumed on licensed premises. This is coming from the actual ruling that was made. I don’t think I differ from what’s been there and, in fact, how the board would carry out and conduct its affairs that would have an impact on the public safety of individuals in the Northwest Territories.

My comments to the media are more when you look at the other aspects of social conditions in the Northwest Territories, when it comes to our concerns as we’ve heard raised many times in this Assembly from the Minister of Health and Social Services and the cost that it has on our system and the lives of the people in the Northwest Territories, how far do we go as a quasi-judicial board into the area of social response or morale, in a sense? How do we legislate that? How do we control that? They do play a role and it’s an important role and I support them in that initiative. They’ve been tough on a number of recent rulings and I met with them and said it’s within their authority. If they want to make their rulings harder and harsher, as long as they’re being consistent across the board that was okay with me. I met with them and discussed that issue and then said if they had concerns about other areas I’d be glad to meet with them and discuss those concerns.

We should be clear that I don’t see myself as differing from the judicial aspect of the role. The concern that I have is, as a quasi-judicial board, if they in fact go beyond their mandate -- which was also laid down in the report from the judge -- into the socialism and into advocacy, then we have some blurring of the lines. So we have to be careful there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 120-15(3): A New Liquor Act For The Northwest Territories

Thank you. This, indeed, is the kind of discussion that is useful to the whole topic, but it is one that I think really needs to be broadly expanded, Mr. Speaker, if we’re going to sit here and debate the fine points of a mandate and judicial ruling, we could be here for a long time and not address what really is at issue here. That is the cost in human terms of the abuse and mismanagement of alcohol. So at least in consideration of the environment we’re in today, what steps will the Minister take to endorse our Liquor Licensing Board’s new and more proactive approach to enforcing our laws? Thank you.

Minister responsible for the Liquor Licensing Board, Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 120-15(3): A New Liquor Act For The Northwest Territories

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I stated, I did meet with the Liquor Licensing Board here in Yellowknife a number of weeks ago and discussed a number of things such as mandate, goals, a number of their concerns over who has authority over the budget, how things were working, communications. I said I gladly open the door to having a good, healthy working relationship. It caught me by surprise that the letter indicated the resignation of the chairperson.

As well, Mr. Speaker, I think we will be proactive. Number one, the Department of Finance has the Liquor Act under our authority and we’re intending to move forward with some work in that area and looking possibly at a rewrite of the act. There’s work going on there. We need to go further and clarify what actual roles and responsibilities will be for enforcement and how the board would look at itself. Again, the bigger broader picture is can that act and the Liquor Licensing Board deal with the full gamut of the social responsibility that we would have as a government? I think we’re again going into a different area.

This Assembly, as a whole, can set a direction and a policy and try to work to that area through Health and Social Services, through Education, Culture and Employment, but can we combine that all into one act and one board, that being the Liquor Licensing Board? Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 120-15(3): A New Liquor Act For The Northwest Territories