Debates of May 31, 2006 (day 2)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question here today is for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources just relating to our recycling program which rolled out last year. I know that the program has been receiving good reviews and good public participation. That is a good direction that everybody in the North has taken seriously. My concern is with the smaller community depots, Mr. Speaker, that rely on the larger deposit centres in the urban areas to drop off all their recyclable materials. There seems to be some discrepancy on how these materials are refunded and paid for. In the smaller communities, the small depots are paying per unit on the cans and the bottles and the containers that they are taking in and they are bringing them to the larger centres. The larger centres are telling them that they are basing them on the weight that they are bringing in. There is some discrepancy on the refunding and the receiving of the money that they have dished out in collecting the recyclables. I am just wondering what the policy is of the government on the recycling. Is it based on the number of cans or bottles, or by the weight? Can the Minister just answer that first? Thanks.

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

Return To Question 9-15(5): NWT Recycle Program Policies

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the cash in your trash is based on a price per container. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 9-15(5): NWT Recycle Program Policies

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the cash for your trash is based on the per unit, what is the government doing to ensure that when there is a discrepancy between the large centres and the smaller centres that are transporting all of these materials to their depot, that they are communicated that the government policy is on a per unit basis and not on a per weight? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 9-15(5): NWT Recycle Program Policies

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now that I have been made aware of this discrepancy as the Member has indicated, then we will be following up today and tomorrow to ensure that the proper facts are communicated to all of the participants in this program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 9-15(5): NWT Recycle Program Policies

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is good to know that the Minister will be sending out some kind of a memo to all of the main operators. Is there any avenue in our appeal mechanism that the government would have? Is there an office that these small depot operators can call when there is a dispute and that they can get some mitigation to resolve it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 9-15(5): NWT Recycle Program Policies

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would recommend that, if there are questions in any particular community, they contact the local ENR officer or the local regional office. They should be able to hopefully resolve the issues and clarify any misunderstandings. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 9-15(5): NWT Recycle Program Policies

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is just for the Minister’s information. I am sure he is well aware that a lot of these small centres don’t have Renewable Resource officers. They don’t have ENR officers. When they do phone the ENR office in Yellowknife, Hay River, the South Slave, North Slave, or the Inuvik office from these remote communities, these calls usually go unanswered, then these people just give up. I know of a few small community depots that are just shutting down because they are not getting any feedback from the government. They are not getting any support in trying to mitigate these disputes that they are having with the larger operators. The larger operators are definitely not taking up their small community concerns to the government because there is a dispute in place. How can people get some positive feedback from the government in saying, yes, we can look into it and we will check into your concern? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 9-15(5): NWT Recycle Program Policies

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Member would provide me with the detail of the information that he has talked about in the communities and contractors that he is referring to, I will ensure that they are followed up with and that we can clarify circumstances and make sure that they have the support they need. We can hopefully resolve this issue and maintain and continue the recycling program. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) My previous statement regarding payment to elders, I would like to ask a question. Can they make some kind of arrangement with community services with the new government? There is a lot of concern regarding this from the elders. (Translation ends)

…trip worth for many years negotiating an agreement because they knew that it was self-government. We could do a better job of serving our people than the GNWT or DIAND. We did not go to all this trouble only to have GNWT bureaucracy imposed on us. This is a question to the Minister of the Financial Management Board Secretariat. In light of this government’s position on the value of traditional knowledge as passed by my elders, will the Minister commit to making whatever policy changes or arrangements that are necessary to allow the Tlicho Community Services Agency to pay elders for their services within a day? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 10-15(5): Compensation Policies For Elders Providing Services To Government

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue has arisen as a result of the payroll systems being amalgamated where we would use one system of pay. Previously, boards and agencies outside our system or who had their own systems would cut off-cycle cheques. Since being requested to be incorporated in our payroll system, this issue has arisen. We have been working together with Education, trying to come up with another form of off-cycle cheques being issued. Part of the problem is that we need to try to shorten that timeline. Right now, they have fallen into the casual payroll system. To try to shorten that timeline, we would need the information from the Tlicho group or agency in advance of who would be paid, how many days they would be working and then we might be able to try to do something. So we are working on an avenue to try to bring that closer together. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 10-15(5): Compensation Policies For Elders Providing Services To Government

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my previous Member’s statement, the Tlicho Community Services Agency is in a unique position. We are a new government since August 4th of last year. So we are different from any organizations here in the North and also throughout Canada. My next question leads on to…Can the Minister please clarify how he can continue to impose four to six-week delays on payments to the elders from the Tlicho Community Services Agency despite the clear wishes of the Tlicho Government that is consistent with the spirit and the letter of the Tlicho Agreement that was signed by three parties in the government service agreement, and, Mr. Speaker, in particular, section 3.2(a)? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 10-15(5): Compensation Policies For Elders Providing Services To Government

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the problem arises when we have an individual or, in this case, elders who would come to work for a school board or an agency and they would only come as and when, once every few weeks, once a month or maybe even less than that, depending on what information they were going to provide. That is a difficult portion because our systems right now, as we run our payroll system, do not adequately address that. That is an issue. We have been trying to work with Education around this area to accommodate the request. Part of the problem, as we work our system and try to be more accountable with how we pay individuals, is that if somebody comes in and works for half a day and not a full day, then we have to go back and try to recover that. It makes it very difficult. So they are trying to work on an issue of getting some advance notice of who would be coming in and what time they would come in, and then we could try to work around that issue. We are going to try to work and reduce the amount of time. I am not sure if we can get it right down to a one-day turnaround as was done in the past. We are working to try to reduce the time from less than six weeks. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 10-15(5): Compensation Policies For Elders Providing Services To Government

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am just wondering if the Minister or his department has looked into a contractual basis where they hire an elder on an as-needed basis and they can be paid within the next few days, as opposed to waiting four to six weeks. Can the Minister advise this House if they have looked at the option? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 10-15(5): Compensation Policies For Elders Providing Services To Government

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when we start branching into the area of contracts, that brings a whole new set of rules on its own. Part of the issue is that we had to go down this path of going onto one payroll system is that departments, boards and agencies had too many different systems out there causing a lot of grief for those that would get payroll and then have some changes that needed to be made. We had to go back after the fact. I think there is an opportunity here. If we can work out an arrangement with the Tlicho agency on the timing of when individuals come in, if we had advance notice of when individuals come in, who they are, and how long they would be there for, we could then be prepared to try to accommodate that and shorten the time frame to possibly a week or less. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Your final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 10-15(5): Compensation Policies For Elders Providing Services To Government

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my final question to the Minister is, I am just wondering if the Minister can meet with the Tlicho Community Services Agency and come up with a possible solution to this whole ordeal, possibly setting up a petty cash agreement where we hire elders on an as-needed basis so we have petty cash on hand. We hire elders at times here and there for cultural events. So I am just wondering if the Minister can meet with the Tlicho Community Services Agency and set up a system where we can pay elders possibly out of a petty cash fund that could be available to them. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 10-15(5): Compensation Policies For Elders Providing Services To Government

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are a number of issues that would come up just sitting here thinking about it. So instead of getting into that detail in this forum and possibly making some errors in the response, what I would suggest is that I know there’s been ongoing discussions and we’ve had some meetings in the past, I will direct people from within our payroll systems to meet with the agency and try to come up with something that’s appropriate. Part of it could be, as I said, simply a matter of knowing in advance who is going to be working for what time period and that would help reduce that amount of waiting. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe we have a real problem here and I think the ENR Minister can solve it by doing something today. My optimism tells me he’s got the leadership and wherewithal, so let’s settle it today by making a clear statement by supporting innovative programs out there. Mr. Speaker, we have real problems so we need real solutions. So where is the policy to support innovative programs for energy saving conservation investments in our Northwest Territories and in our people? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Return To Question 11-15(5): Support For Innovation In The NWT

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we provide substantive funding, along with other departments, to the Arctic Energy Alliance, who is our working arm in terms of energy conservation. This government, as well, has set up its own Energy Conservation Program to support initiatives, retrofitting, looking at new technologies and innovative ways to save energy. We’ve also combined, partnered up that money with money from the federal government. In this case, there has been assistance provided to the individual in question, money and technical support that is helping advance the work that he’s doing. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 11-15(5): Support For Innovation In The NWT

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the Minister hot potatoed that right over to the Arctic Energy Alliance. Maybe I am wasting my time asking ENR questions and I should march down to Arctic Energy Alliance about their support. But, Mr. Speaker, this is about a lack of policy. This is about a lack of programs. This is about the lack of attention about who’s in the driver’s seat about this problem because if the ENR Minister isn’t willing to do anything about this, I’m going to ask him who will. So, Mr. Speaker, where is the policy to set up support programs so local folks, the everyday average Joe, can get out there and say I’m going to put energy technology into my house and I’m going to tap into a support program from this government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 11-15(5): Support For Innovation In The NWT

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, very clearly the leadership lies with the seven Members comprising of Cabinet, with myself and Mr. Bell who are tasked with bringing forward first the discussion on the White Paper on the Energy Strategy and we’ve committed to bringing forward the formal Energy Strategy by this coming fall, which will address that and many other issues and provide a framework, provide the direction and the policy base for us to move forward into this, as the Member has indicated, very important area. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 11-15(5): Support For Innovation In The NWT

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now we’re starting to drill down to real answers and real responses. Thank you, Minister. Okay, so the fact is we’re now talking about an energy strategy. So recognizing the feds are cutting some of these energy dollars that go out to help real people and now that we’re down to the fact that we need the Energy and Natural Resources Minister to set up programs and policies, where are our policies to help these average people who are building houses who want to tap into energy smart technology? Where is the policy? Are we playing Where's Waldo here? Where is the policy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 11-15(5): Support For Innovation In The NWT

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just laid out to the Member what the plan is. We’ve met with committee; a presentation has been done; we’re going to be releasing the White Paper on the Energy Strategy. We’re going to follow that up with a more formal document. In the meantime, there’s existing programs available through the Arctic Energy Alliance, some through the federal government, there’s been some technical support and those programs are currently on the books and operational pending the outcome of the discussions and feedback and consultation with the White Paper and the more formal actual document that’s going to be brought forward this fall. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 11-15(5): Support For Innovation In The NWT

We’re still missing the results of the policy, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we’re still talking about the Energy Strategy. We’re talking about hot potatoeing it. Where is the leadership from this government that says energy policy, the policy that says we’ll do things smart, we’re setting up programs? We’re talking about a strategy, we’re throwing it away and saying go to the Arctic Energy Alliance, we’re saying we’re marrying many things, but yet at the end of the day where is the policy that says this government will set up programs to help the average Northwest Territories citizen? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 11-15(5): Support For Innovation In The NWT

Mr. Chairman, there’s been at least two…Sorry, Mr. Speaker. There’s been at least two briefings that I can recollect in recent weeks and months where we’ve laid out in considerable detail all the work that’s being done across government to look at energy conservation, alleviating the high cost of living, the impact of rising energy costs, what we’re doing as a government to make government more efficient, what we’re doing as a government to work with the communities and the individuals and businesses to assist them to make the necessary steps on the energy conservation side. That is all there. It’s been presented to committee. I can share it with the Member if he is having trouble locating that information and would be happy to do that. It would take up a lot of extra paper and a lot of extra energy, but we’re prepared to invest that because it is a big issue keeping the Member informed. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions this afternoon are for Mr. Dent, the Minister responsible for the Workers’ Compensation Board of the NWT and Nunavut, and it relates to the efforts by an injured worker to have his appeal heard before a freshly constituted board. Mr. Speaker, it’s rare that an injured worker’s appeal makes its way all the way to the Supreme Court. The onus is almost always on the worker to shoulder the expense, and the time, and the burden, and the energy that’s required to get it this way, and I think it’s to Mr. Valic’s credit that he has persisted over the years to challenge and win these judgments. Now he is still a long, long way from actually receiving any tangible result. He still actually has, for instance, to get a favourable decision from this new tribunal and that is what I want to focus on, Mr. Speaker. So the question that I have now, 19 years after his accident, five years after he started action to appeal decisions and now six months after a Supreme Court ruling, Mr. Valic still waits to be heard. Why has it taken so long to assemble the fresh panel of tribunal adjudicators to rehear Mr. Valic’s case, Mr. Speaker?