Debates of October 13, 2005 (day 9)

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 101-15(4): Norman Wells Community Learning Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not aware of another facility that is in as much need of replacement as the learning centre in Norman Wells when it comes to Aurora College facilities.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 101-15(4): Norman Wells Community Learning Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, the Minister is very accurate on his observation of our facility in Norman Wells in terms of the Aurora College. I would like to ask the Minister if he would be committed to meeting with possibly the Town of Norman Wells or the Aurora College authorities to possibly look at alternative locations for this centre and also see what they could come up with. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 101-15(4): Norman Wells Community Learning Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am quite prepared to work with the Aurora College Board of Governors and see what we can do in terms of replacing the facility in Norman Wells. I would be prepared to meet with the Town and other groups, but we need to make sure that we can find the money in the capital plan. That is my first goal: to try and move that forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 101-15(4): Norman Wells Community Learning Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the town of Norman Wells in the Sahtu region, there is every oil and gas activity. I just can’t see that this government is putting a centre like this that we desperately need on the back burner of the capital plan. Would the Minister again assure the people of Norman Wells that this learning centre in Norman Wells gets high priority in terms of putting it back on the capital plan before any more beautiful new buildings like the one building in Inuvik are built? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 101-15(4): Norman Wells Community Learning Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have told the Member, I am quite prepared to work with the college board of governors and the community to look at where we can fit the facility in Norman Wells into the capital plan. I do agree that we need to look at it as an urgent need for Norman Wells. That facility really needs some attention. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources today on the much talked about Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board and how it is functioning. Does the GNWT have a representative and a voice on the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board this time? Thank you.

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

Return To Question 102-15(4): GNWT Participation On Mackenzie Valley Land And Water Board

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we do.

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

Supplementary To Question 102-15(4): GNWT Participation On Mackenzie Valley Land And Water Board

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister then who that is. I would like to ask him how we provide input. As the GNWT, we suggest a representative. The federal government appoints them. How are we assured of their effective and full participation and representation on that board on our behalf? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. There are two questions there. You can answer one or both of them, Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 102-15(4): GNWT Participation On Mackenzie Valley Land And Water Board

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we nominate that person. That person currently is Mr. Jack Van Camp from Fort Smith; an individual with eminent credentials and qualifications. The ideal is that the board and its members function effectively, working with the board chair to represent the interests of all northerners. That is what we are striving to do with this board. We are working on some current issues to make sure that we, in fact, maintain that level of effectiveness. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 102-15(4): GNWT Participation On Mackenzie Valley Land And Water Board

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since the appointment of a new chair to that board in the person of Mr. Todd Burlingame, is he satisfied that Mr. Van Camp, who he says is eminently capable -- and I totally agree with him on that -- has been kept informed of applications that have been reviewed in unsettled areas, that he has been kept informed with correspondence, attendance at meetings, has been kept in the loop as a participant on the board? Is the Minister satisfied that that has occurred in recent months? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 102-15(4): GNWT Participation On Mackenzie Valley Land And Water Board

No, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in fact, I have had significant concerns to the extent that, on August 10th, I did write to the Minister of DIAND to express those concerns very clearly in writing about the need to have a functioning board and a board that engaged fully all the members to represent both the settled and unsettled claims areas. As I indicated, I did write to him very clearly outlining that concern. He responded on September 27th. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 102-15(4): GNWT Participation On Mackenzie Valley Land And Water Board

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister then if he is satisfied that the federal Minister understands the nature of our concern and if this will result in a change in practice or a change in attitude that would ensure Mr. Van Camp’s full participation, and will he keep us, as Members, apprised of what flows as a result of the communication? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 102-15(4): GNWT Participation On Mackenzie Valley Land And Water Board

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Minister Scott clearly said in his letter that he was committed to a fully functioning board where all members, including Mr. Van Camp, are engaged and not put on the sidelines. It is my expectation that he will transmit that sentiment to the board chair and that this issue that has bedevilled us for some time now will no longer be on our agenda and we can all get back with the other pressing issues at hand. I will be tracking this issue very closely with the board member and, if necessary, we will take further action. The Premier, as well as the Cabinet, is aware of the circumstance. It is one that we would like to see rectified so that we can get on with the work that is on the agenda. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are in line with the statement I made earlier about the energy issues that the Cabinet read out earlier today. Mr. Speaker, my question goes to the Minister of Public Works and Services. I believe in the long run that this has to be about reduction of consumption no matter where the energy cost levels are. They go up and down. We have no idea how bad this is going to be and for how long. I think that we have to be always vigilant. We live in a very affluent society. We like to have big houses and big cars and such. We forget that we have limited resources when it comes to energy. I believe there is an important role for the government to play. One, it is the biggest consumer of energy in the North. The government can do a lot to make sure that their vehicles and all the things that we own and use are used in a most energy-efficient manner. The second thing is to provide incentives to the working poor, the homeowners, to do more to reduce consumption. I would like to know if the Minister and the Cabinet have considered any incentive programs to get the people to do whatever they can for their houses. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 103-15(4): Incentive Programs To Reduce Energy Consumption

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the Department of Public Works and Services itself, we have looked at a number of initiatives for dealing with government assets and facilities. One of the things we are doing is in the area of thermal scan to see how our buildings are operating and how much heat loss there is and where that heat loss is occurring. That is an area that we are going to be improving on as well as the building practices that we now have in place here in the Territories. We know that adds cost to the facilities up front but feel that it is important over the life of that facility that there would be savings.

As for actual incentives from the Department of Public Works and Services itself, we are not providing incentives. In the area of these thermal scans, when we are in the communities, we will be announcing that we will be able to look at private facilities and homes to do work in that area.

In the other areas of energy, as the Premier has announced, Cabinet is dealing with this issue on an ongoing basis, and has a specific item every time we sit down around the energy initiatives, and has, as well, a lead deputy amongst the deputies to deal with the issue of all departments in pooling their information. So we are working on a number of initiatives. Some of them will just give more information to the public, and some will work on programs so that we might be able to support them in lowering their energy costs. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 103-15(4): Incentive Programs To Reduce Energy Consumption

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to narrow my supplementary question to individual homes rather than the government, although I started on two and I might have confused the Minister. I know the Minister is referring to many of the committees and meetings and, God only knows, the studies we did in the last Assembly, spending millions of dollars. If we spent that money trying to make our homes more efficient, we might be a lot better off now. Mr. Speaker, the Minister indicated in his Minister's statement about working with the Arctic Energy Alliance and the supplementary funding that he will be bringing forward. I was assuming that in that package there would be some kind of incentive package for energy reduction of consumption. Is there anything that we can look forward to that works in that area? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 103-15(4): Incentive Programs To Reduce Energy Consumption

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, there will be some areas where the money will be spent on helping individuals lower their consumption. One is the energy audits on their homes; one would be the areas, for example, on furnaces and heating systems to provide some assistance to have those systems tuned up. As we know, with a proper operating system, there can be savings in that area. There are a number of areas that we are looking at, but there are small portions that we will be able to assist homeowners with. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 103-15(4): Incentive Programs To Reduce Energy Consumption

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that answer. Mr. Speaker, I really like this thermal scan thing. I think that that is something that we should use a lot more, and I know that we are going to use this for government buildings and huge buildings. I think we should somehow set up a program where individual homeowners could use this service at a low cost or no cost to see how energy efficient their homes are. Failing that, I am sure there are experts in our communities who could do this. Will the government look into helping our people do that; help with the cost of getting experts in to see where we could save more energy in our home? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 103-15(4): Incentive Programs To Reduce Energy Consumption

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we would be willing to look at a number of initiatives out there that can help people reduce their consumption of energy and the thermal scam idea is…

---Laughter

…thermal scan idea is one that is something we use on our own facilities, and when we travel in the communities we will make that available to community governments and we can look at seeing if it can be used for individual homes as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 103-15(4): Incentive Programs To Reduce Energy Consumption

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the supplementary funding that the Minister will be bringing forward will have some of this information. Could the Minister indicate when we should expect to have this information in the House, so we can have further discussion on the details of what he is proposing? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 103-15(4): Incentive Programs To Reduce Energy Consumption

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I stated, I will be bringing forward, as the Minister of Finance, a supplementary appropriation document to this House. We will be dealing with it, I think, about the middle of our sitting time here in this session. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Transportation, with regard to the ferry service strike in Nahendeh. Despite the federal ruling against the ferry service being listed as essential services, the residents of Fort Simpson and Wrigley do consider it a life line to the rest of the world. On behalf of my constituents, I would like to know what position the government is taking with respect to the strike there, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 104-15(4): Fort Liard Ferry Service

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is recognized that the Liard ferry services are very important to the people of Nahendeh, especially the communities of Fort Simpson and Wrigley, and will cause some disruption in terms of service for those communities. However, this is a labour dispute between the PSAC employees and a private company, and the Department of Transportation is trying its best to stay out of the discussions and not get involved directly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Supplementary To Question 104-15(4): Fort Liard Ferry Service

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The workers that are on strike were only asking for a fair wage for the work that they do, Mr. Speaker. Is our government in any position to offer any arbitration in this matter?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 104-15(4): Fort Liard Ferry Service

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue for the ferry services is regulated by the federal government under the Canadian Labour Code, and they are the government responsible for this whole issue of dispute.