Debates of November 27, 2007 (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize one of the best constituency assistants in the business, Ms. Denise Yuhas and my executive secretary has been with me all of my ministerial days, Ms. Ingrid Hoffman. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Environment in regards to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, which is the federal legislation that was passed in 1989 and came into force. It is part of the condition of that legislation that calls for an audit to be done in regards to the legislation. It was supposed to be done five years after the legislation was passed. Basically it was concluded in December of 2005, which was seven years after the legislation was passed. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that the recommendations that the review from that legislation is still not being implemented. I would like to ask the Minister of Environment exactly what his department is doing in regards to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to ensure that Indian and Northern Affairs Canada is meeting its obligations under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act in regards to addressing the recommendations of the NWT environmental audit report that was done in 2005.

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

Return To Question 14-16(1): Obligations Under The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member has raised an issue of concern to the Government of the Northwest Territories and that is the broader issue of land use planning as it affects the Northwest Territories and the need to have a better and broader government-wide policy in this area. That is something that we are committed to doing in the coming weeks and months. As well, we are going to be working with the regions to follow up on their efforts for regional land use plans. We are looking closely at the recommendations of work yet undone and we will be encouraging the federal government to meet all of their obligations. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 14-16(1): Obligations Under The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources is responsible for coordinating the GNWT’s participation on the environmental assessment process under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. But yet, Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister exactly can he tell me how many preliminary screening processes have been conducted through the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act over the last three years? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 14-16(1): Obligations Under The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t have that particular technical information at my fingertips. I will commit to providing it to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 14-16(1): Obligations Under The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my constituent, in regards to the Gwich’in settlement region in the Mackenzie Delta, has completed a land use plan that has been in place for several years. Yet, Mr. Speaker, under the environmental assessment regulatory process, land use planning is a critical component of the decision-making process. But yet, Mr. Speaker, we heard from a lot of other regions throughout the Northwest Territories…

Do you have a question, Mr. Krutko?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Environment tell me exactly how many land use plans are in place and exactly how many environmental impact assessment processes were conducted in those areas where no land use plans are in place?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 14-16(1): Obligations Under The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can indicate to the Member that I am aware that the Gwich’in, Sahtu, Inuvialuit and the Deh Cho regions are currently looking at land use planning processes. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. A final, short supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 14-16(1): Obligations Under The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister look at what is the coordination between areas where land use plans have been completed, where the regulatory environmental assessment process is and where areas were called for preliminary screening in regards to those areas where land use plans are compared to those areas where it isn’t? Can the Minister look into that and give me an idea of what the recommendations in regards to the environmental assessment report is and why those recommendations have not been acted on?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 14-16(1): Obligations Under The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ll commit to review the Hansard to get a clear understanding of the Member’s questions so we get it right, and I will get that information for the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said in my Member’s statement today, I have some concerns about the line of questioning and the, I suppose, answer to the questions that I asked here in this House on October 19th. Now, being very careful to draw the distinction, I’m not asking the Premier to go back to the decisions or the actions of the 15th Assembly. But in this House on October 19, when the 16th Assembly was in action, when he was the Premier of this government and I sought questions as to the current status of the Deh Cho Bridge project and specifically asked about the extent of our government’s liability, did he know that the concession agreement had already been signed? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 15-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the question the Member asked is, one, was I aware of the signing of the concession agreement. In the previous Assembly, a decision was made to proceed with that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 15-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

On October 19, 2007, when the 16th Assembly was sitting in this House and I was asking Mr. Roland questions as the Premier, did he know that the concession agreement had been signed with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 15-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, as the decision was made by the previous Assembly to proceed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 15-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you. To the issue of the liability of this government with respect to the Deh Cho Bridge project, is the Premier, and was the Premier, aware that the signing of that agreement would necessarily take the level of commitment of this government and the liability of this government to a new stage? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 15-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in response to the questions on the 19th of this October, looking at the issues there, as I responded, the liabilities on our government remain the same as long as the conditions hadn’t been made, there’s no final contract on this project when signed. They’re waiting for a number of factors to be settled yet. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 15-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the working of a consensus government is based on our credibility on this side of the House to ask questions and to receive accountable and transparent answers from the other side. That’s the whole basis of this debate in the House. I mean, Mr. Roland can split hairs about this, but he knows the intent of my question and some of my colleagues was to find out what had transpired and where our government sat in terms of commitment. My question is to the Premier. In retrospect, was the signing of the concession agreement not a very key piece of information that he should have shared that day? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 15-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, whether we’re splitting hairs or not, I responded to the questions that were given to me about the liability, about some of the commitments that we’ve made. Yes, I know it is a sensitive issue, but a decision had been made. In hindsight, I could go back and say, if the question was asked of me, I would have to respond in the affirmative, and maybe I should have at that point, but I was taking questions from every Member on every portfolio. So I apologize if I wasn’t sincere enough or clear enough, but, as Hansard would show, I was responding to the questions that were directed at me, and I think I had done that on that day. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This question is for the Premier. Given that the voluntary sector is diverse and provides support to all areas of a community, there is merit in having the mandate for supporting the voluntary sector transfer to the Executive. Currently with MACA, the mandate is for sport, recreation and youth, and does not give them the knowledge, expertise and whatnot to reach out and address issues of voluntary groups such as justice and arts and whatnot. As Premier, would you commit to supporting the voluntary sector creating a clear and logical singular point of contact and allocating the responsibility for supporting this sector to the Executive? This will send a message that the GNWT values the voluntary sector and is committed to voluntarism and developing an open, informed, sustainable dialogue with the NWT voluntary sector. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 16-16(1): Transfer Of Volunteerism To The Department Of The Executive

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the area of the volunteer sector has played a prominent role within the government and a number of departments. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs now has that area of responsibility and the Minister in charge has been working with a number of departments. So there are a number of initiatives that have worked their way into the system, maybe not to the level as groups would like, and if it’s the will of this Assembly that we re-look at that, where it sits, be prepared to review that scenario, I can say now that just because it would sit in the Executive doesn’t mean that we would change our answers; we’d have to look at the whole process of changes or the requests that are being made case by case. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Yakeleya. They get back to the Deh Cho Bridge project and the concession agreement that was alluded to earlier and was signed on the 28th of September, three days prior to the territorial election on October 1st. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation, what was the communications plan with the public on detailing the concession agreement? When they went to Fort Providence with the shovels and the photo op, that was when the limited approval was signed off, the concession agreement, an integral part of the Deh Cho Bridge project, and should have been something that was mentioned. It hasn’t been mentioned and it was two months ago. I’d like to ask the Minister when the department was going to mention that publicly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Yakeleya.

Return To Question 17-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT, in its discussions with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation members, will discuss the public release of the concession agreement.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 17-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Considering that the concession agreement was signed on September the 28th, I’m wondering how effective the negotiations between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation could have been when, if in fact they were working on an October 1st deadline, how could the government negotiate a fair agreement if October 1st was the deadline to negotiate? At the 11th hour, the agreement was signed on the 28th of September. It’s two months later and no word from the department on the signing of that document. I think that’s absurd, Mr. Speaker, and I’d like to ask the Minister what is the communications plan going forward with that concession agreement and what the liability is for the Government of the Northwest Territories on that project? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Yakeleya.

Further Return To Question 17-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the concession agreement has been signed on the 28th of September, as Members know. The concession agreement, there are still 12 schedules and appendices that still need to be finalized. We have to have that discussion with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation; we have to have that discussion with Members here. Mr. Speaker, once that is done and we feel confident with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation releasing public documents, we will do that.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 17-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I’m wondering why the government would sign the concession agreement on the 28th of September -- a multi-million dollar deal, a multi-year deal -- without, again, the approval of the Members of the last Legislative Assembly. It looks like the project is full steam ahead; the concession agreement has been signed. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister if he would entertain a full public inquiry as to the decision-making process on this project. I think the public deserves to know…