Debates of May 31, 2005 (day 5)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Finance and FMBS, the Honourable Floyd Roland. Madam Speaker, I understand from newspaper reports that liquor revenue that came out of the Northwest Territories last year was $36 million and I wanted to ask the Minister if there was any plans within the government to see how this money could be put back into the regions that desperately need programs such as the TTC and alcohol and drug programs. Could some of this money from the liquor revenue fund go back into the regions that need the help? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Minister responsible for the NWT Liquor Commission, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 67-15(4): Using Liquor Revenues For Regional Drug And Alcohol Programs

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Liquor Commission has the revolving fund. That fund is paid back into the GNWT general revenue and used for programming throughout the Northwest Territories. So in a sense, it already comes back to the government and is used for programs. It is not specifically targeted, but it comes back to the government and we use that money to help run programs and services. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 67-15(4): Using Liquor Revenues For Regional Drug And Alcohol Programs

Madam Speaker, I guess the perception out there is that the money that is used in terms of causing a lot of heartaches and headaches down the Mackenzie Valley in terms of liquor is why don’t you put some money back. There is a huge chunk of money in the revolving fund. Put it back into the alcohol and drug programs so we contribute to these heartaches and headaches down the Mackenzie Valley. Certainly I think the government could do some shifting in their priorities, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Roland.

Further Return To Question 67-15(4): Using Liquor Revenues For Regional Drug And Alcohol Programs

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, as a government we can tally up all the areas that we fund to deal with the impacts of drug and alcohol. It is, as the Member puts it, a crying shame that we have to spend as much money as we do to deal with the impacts of something like drugs and alcohol. It is a problem in the Northwest Territories. We do spend a lot of money. Just look at the fact that if we have to deal with just one child that has FASD, it’s a cost to the government throughout the life of that child that’s 100 percent preventable. We do, as I was stating earlier, take the money we have and put it into programs and services. As a government, we have to look at how we deal with the prevention side of alcohol abuse and how we do that. That’s something we are going to have to cope with overall as a government. The money we do have, in the area of $36 million, comes back into the general revenues and we use that to offset the programs and services we already deliver. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 67-15(4): Using Liquor Revenues For Regional Drug And Alcohol Programs

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, not understanding the process fully, Madam Speaker, the people in my region I represent say the money we had made from liquor stores, off-sales and the bars is a huge amount of money. Yet when we go into the communities and ask for treatment programs or programs that would help people such as for FAS or behavioural issues we were just talking about, why is it that we cannot put more money into programs because of damages that the alcohol is doing to our communities and our regions? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Roland.

Further Return To Question 67-15(4): Using Liquor Revenues For Regional Drug And Alcohol Programs

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, there is one way of looking at this. If we say we are going to take a percentage of this or take all the revenue that would come back to general revenues, which is used for programs and services delivered by Health and Social Services and the sales decline and the money starts to drop, what do we do then? The way we do it now is the Department of Health and Social services would come forward with a request for funding and ask for increases if they have new programs and services they want to deliver or enhance existing ones. With that, we would review that and look at every department to see what money we have available and however we came up with the right balance. So again, Health and Social Services, a large part of their budget goes to drug and alcohol-related problems we have in the Territories, and Justice as well as Education as part of their funding purposes. If we tallied all the money we spent in the drug and alcohol-related expenditure side, we would quite easily go over the amount we bring in from the Liquor Commission. Do we need to put more into the prevention side? That’s something we need to get direction on. If this House says that is a higher priority than other areas, then as we go forward with our business plans we can start to incorporate that into the business plans.

Thank you, Minister Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 67-15(4): Using Liquor Revenues For Regional Drug And Alcohol Programs

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We require further discussions in other forums of this Assembly in terms of the question I want to follow up with the Minister on. The way that the trend is now, I don’t think we are going to lose any money. The revenues are increasing every year. The Minister has indicated that programs and services are being delivered out of the general revenue fund. Going back into the revenue, we subsidize a lot of the booze in the Northwest Territories. Is that something that the Minister would look at? Milk is quite expensive in our small communities. Oranges and apples are quite expensive. Sometimes booze is cheaper in our region. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Roland.

Further Return To Question 67-15(4): Using Liquor Revenues For Regional Drug And Alcohol Programs

Thank you, Madam Speaker. First and foremost, let me be very clear. We do not subsidize alcohol in the Northwest Territories. In fact, we have some of the highest mark-ups of alcohol compared to other jurisdictions and that’s where we get a lot of the profits from. So we don’t subsidize. We don’t subsidize the transportation. We don’t subsidize the sales. It’s all profit and we have some of the highest mark-ups on alcohol products compared to other jurisdictions. I know it’s a difficult comparison when you look at some of the costs of essentials in a community like milk and fresh produce compared to places like Yellowknife or places that have easy access to get the goods in the communities. So it is difficult to compare that but, to be clear, we don’t have a subsidy program for alcohol products. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have questions for Minister Miltenberger in his capacity of Minister of ENR, not on the TTC this time. Madam Speaker, my question is with regard to the Ingraham Trail. I have constituents along the trail, as well as every other Yellowknife MLA, who have legal cabins out there. In the past, they brought forward their concerns and the former Minister of RWED, Minister Bell, started actioning a program to help deal with some of those concerns, but he no longer carries that portfolio. The concerns brought forward were garbage, trail establishment, clear-cutting, bonfires, lean-to potties -- believe me, I have pictures -- and gunfire attacks on killer trees. With all those types of things that are out there, what will the new Minister of this portfolio do to help protect the people out there and their personal property? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 68-15(4): Protection Of Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Of course, this is part of providing good government with continuity and consistency and the plan to follow the commitments that were initiated by Mr. Bell. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 68-15(4): Protection Of Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Madam Speaker. To avoid taking the question as notice, I will issue a general one. Would the Minister be willing to assure me today that the patrols will be stepped up to ensure that property is safe, people are not clear-cutting, shooting, or attacking killer trees? Would he assure me that the patrols are out there protecting people and ensuring that property is safe? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 68-15(4): Protection Of Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Further to commitments made by my colleague Mr. Bell, there is a working group that is being pulled together with the various authorities collectively putting their heads together to come up with a work plan over the course of the summer to jointly look at the issues that cost the various mandates to ensure we can address some of the issues that my colleague has raised. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 68-15(4): Protection Of Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I appreciate that answer and I appreciate what Minister Bell has started by establishing that working group. I would like to see that lead continue because it does affect a lot of people. Could I have the commitment from this Minister to assure me in this House today, so I can go back to some constituents of mine, that this working group will be meeting very shortly, in whatever capacity, so we can get some true results out there so people can see that the RCMP and our parks officers are jointly patrolling these areas? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 68-15(4): Protection Of Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Madam Speaker. There has been some work with involved parties, with the unfortunate exception of INAC who we have tried to get to the table with no success as of yet. We will continue the work and I will be prepared to keep the Member apprised of any plans that come out of this work or issues they determine have to be dealt with. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 68-15(4): Protection Of Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am looking for a further commitment from the Minister to see if we can step up some of the patrols. I know there has been some presence in our parks, but the constituents are asking for more visual presence on the weekends, especially the long weekends. Can I get that commitment today? Generally, most of these areas are referring to just past the Cameron River and towards Yellowknife. Those are the areas of highest contention. Again, I am referring to legalized cabin areas. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 68-15(4): Protection Of Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will commit to provide the Member with the information. I will go back to the department to see what they have planned for the summer to address some of the issues on the table and the initial work that has been done by the working group. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Government of the Northwest Territories Contracts over $5,000 Report for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2005. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Seizing Opportunities: Securing our Future; Vision, Mission and Goals of the new Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 13, tabling of documents. Members, pursuant to section 99 of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, I hereby table the annual report for the calendar year 2004 of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner of the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 2, 2005, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that notwithstanding Rule 4, that when this House adjourns on Thursday, June 2, 2005, it shall be adjourned until Wednesday, October 12, 2005; and further, that any time prior to October 12, 2005, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it had been duly adjourned to that time.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2004-2005, be read for the first time.

Thank you, Minister Roland. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question.

Question is being called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2004-2005, be read for the second time.

Madam Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriations for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2004-05 fiscal year. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Roland. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Question.