Debates of October 18, 2004 (day 22)

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 240-15(3): Details Of Additional Federal Health Funding

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in regards to the aboriginal health fund, the one step of progress that came out of the meeting with Minister Dosanjh and all the provincial and territorial Ministers was that the co-chairs and Minister Dosanjh and Minister Smitherman from Ontario, who is now the co-chair on behalf of the provinces and territories, are going to sit down with the aboriginal leaders that were involved at the First Ministers’ meeting, and meet with them to start the discussions about the detail of how this fund is to be accessed, how the money is to flow, and how it will be allocated on a contribution basis or will it be done a different way. So those questions have yet to be answered.

It was not clear; Minister Dosanjh didn’t have any further information, and that was the direction that was given to himself and the Minister from Ontario. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 240-15(3): Details Of Additional Federal Health Funding

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for the update and the results of his trip to Vancouver. Inasmuch as it shares information with the public and the House, through the Assembly, it is a good thing. However, I just wanted to comment that I was a little disappointed this morning that all of the media coverage on CBC was quoting the Alberta Health Minister, Minister Gary Mar, and I would like to know if the Minister would make a commitment to put the same information and maybe more detail out to the public by way of a press release, as a result of his meetings. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 240-15(3): Details Of Additional Federal Health Funding

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, many of the legislatures across Canada are in session and what happened late yesterday was when we concluded our meetings, many of us had plane times booked so that we could get back to our respective jurisdictions in time for session. So the press conference was delegated as it normally is to the Minister, the two co-chairs: the federal Minister and the provincial/territorial Minister which, in this case, was the Minister from British Columbia.

Mr. Mar had the benefit of soon to be going up for election and was staying in Vancouver to visit relatives, so he stayed around and was there to provide his input on the meeting. I’ve also met with press this morning and I will be doing a 7:15 interview tomorrow morning with Randy Henderson. So we will be spreading this information as best we can. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise because I have some concerns about some of the questions, about this lease with the Centre Square Mall downtown for the Legal Services Board; however, my concerns are not quite like the other Member. I actually feel completely dismayed by some of the suggestions.

We keep hearing about the 15-year lease, but it is a five-year lease. So I think we need to get some of these misleading facts out there so they are absolutely crystal clear.

Mr. Speaker, I hear that Legal Services Board is satisfied, so my question to the Minister is, could he clarify on the criteria and…

Ms. Lee is rising on a Point of Order. Ms. Lee what is your Point of Order?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise on a Point of Order. I don’t know exactly what section there, but I believe that we have a rule in the House that says a Member cannot suggest that another Member is providing any information that is misleading, and, Mr. Speaker, I just want to state that we have the right to ask the questions that we all feel strongly about, on the basis of the information we have.

I do not appreciate any suggestion by any Member in this House that somehow we are failing in our duty to give good information. So I respect the Member's right to pose his own question, but I really do not agree with the suggestion that either I or Mr. Ramsay were misleading any information in asking the questions that we have been. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee, for your Point of Order. Mr. Hawkins, there is a possibility that you were indicating maybe some misleading information. Would you like to withdraw your comments and rephrase your question? Mr. Hawkins.

Can you say it again? I couldn’t hear you.

Mr. Hawkins, the Chair is of the impression that you may have been implying that there was some misleading information being put out in the House. Would you care to withdraw you comments and rephrase your question?

Absolutely, Mr. Speaker, as long as I don’t lose my first question. I would be more than happy to reword and take back that comment.

Mr. Speaker, I need to seek further clarification from the Minister, the Honourable Mr. Charles Dent, because the phrase gets thrown out there, in regards to how many years this lease may be and I am not really sure. So we need a solid answer to get this fact down. I also hear that the Legal Services Board is satisfied with this space in regards to meeting their criteria of storefront accessibility downtown and centralized. So are we meeting the needs of the Legal Services Board set out by their criteria. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. You mentioned Minister Dent. Did you…

My apologies.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 241-15(3): New Legal Aid Office Lease

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess just to set the record straight; from our discussions with the Department of Justice and the Legal Services Board, they are happy with the location that this new contract puts in place. It is a five-year lease, with options to renew. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 241-15(3): New Legal Aid Office Lease

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I see it, as we were fighting for legal aid earlier in the year, the fact is we couldn’t deliver the service because we didn’t have the place to send them to get the service. So I think, in my view, that this service is being met. Now because there have been concerns about the fact that the other two tenders, tenderees if I may call them that -- I don’t know what they are called -- contractors who wanted to bid on that space, didn’t have a chance to appropriately put in a proper bid. So I guess my question is regardless of someone being late or not late, on time or not on time, was the question posed to those other people who were not successful in this contracting bid? Could they provide the services designed by the criteria of the Legal Services Board as mentioned by the criterion over and over again? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Roland.

Further Return To Question 241-15(3): New Legal Aid Office Lease

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the proponents that responded to the RFP were contacted to see if they could provide a suitable location that was requested by the Legal Services Board. So they were contacted and we were informed that they did not have the adequate space or suitable space as was being requested. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 241-15(3): New Legal Aid Office Lease

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s been brought up that there could have been other options out there and maybe one of the examples could have possibly been let's put that in the Centre of Northern Families. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be able to say clearly if that could be considered a conflict because of dealing with both sides of the client issue of legal services issues? So could that have been considered a conflict to put it in a place like that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 241-15(3): New Legal Aid Office Lease

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, all I can say to that is we had worked with those that responded to the RFP and there were no other responses that came to Public Works and Services through this RFP process. So we worked with those that responded and went with the best option that we felt was there, and then, as that work was done, passed on to Justice for their look at it and there was agreement that this was the way to go. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 241-15(3): New Legal Aid Office Lease

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question to the Minister is would he be willing to provide all Members a full briefing note on the process and maybe clarify any misconceptions and whatnot in paper to all Members? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 241-15(3): New Legal Aid Office Lease

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I would be prepared to put a briefing note together for Members of this House. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to address the trappers’ process facility that was announced sometime this last summer. My question is to the Minister of RWED. In light of the announcement of the trappers’ facility, what has the Minister done to help the trappers of the Northwest Territories in light of the announcement by the federal department? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 242-15(3): Closure Of Trapping Facility In Vegreville

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When I last met with committee we discussed this and I think it was quite a concern to the committee, certainly for my department, and I know also a concern for federal Minister Ethel Blondin-Andrew, that the agreement on humane trapping standards that we have with the European Union and Russia was at risk without the research being done at this Vegreville facility. We met with federal Minister Dion to express our concerns and we were able to get the resolution of that issue for this year. There will be continued funding for that Vegreville facility to keep us in compliance, which I think is great news. We also have an agreement to sit down with the other provinces and territories and work out a solution going forward so that we can keep the borders open, which was really the intent in the first place. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 242-15(3): Closure Of Trapping Facility In Vegreville

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell the House how serious this announcement is by the federal government in terms of closing the trappers' research facility in Vegreville to the northern trappers here in the Northwest Territories? I’m not too sure what kind of information went out to our trappers to know the seriousness of the closure of this facility and what impact it will have on our people in the Northwest Territories, especially the trappers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 242-15(3): Closure Of Trapping Facility In Vegreville

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This agreement is very important for us and it was signed a number of years ago by the Prime Minister. The European Union was concerned, or said they had concerns with our humane trapping standards. We agreed that we would fund research as a country to ensure that we were doing the most we possibly could to find the most humane methods of trapping, and this Vegreville facility was where that work and research was done. Without the continued funding of this facility and in effect without us complying with the agreement, we were in real danger of having the EU step in and suggest to us that we weren’t living up to our obligations and there was a very real risk that they would shut down their borders to Canadian furs. By and large, the majority of our furs end up going to the EU area. This would have been devastating to trappers across the country and, obviously, to trappers in the Northwest Territories. So I’m certainly glad that this has been resolved for this year. There’s still a challenge for us to get funding for this going forward, but this is certainly, in the short term, a welcome step, and I know trappers across the territory will be happy with this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The time for question period has expired. Mr. Yakeleya, I will allow you a supplementary.

Supplementary To Question 242-15(3): Closure Of Trapping Facility In Vegreville

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister of RWED if he would commit to talking to our northern trappers, aboriginal trappers, and to look at a game plan because this agreement is only for one year. I have trappers now who are going out on the land, and maybe they need to sit down with our trappers and really look at the significance of the closure of this facility that’s in Vegreville and to let the trappers know the extent or the impact of such a closure if we are not successful next year in renewing that agreement with the federal government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 242-15(3): Closure Of Trapping Facility In Vegreville

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we can do that. One of the things I’ve been very impressed with is our regional operations right across the territory. I know our regional staff are working very diligently with trappers. They make sure that they take in furs, they advance monies to trappers, we have a grubstake program to get trappers started at the beginning of the year, so we already have a lot of contact with trappers. Certainly, we can sit down and discuss the potential implications of not resolving these issues. They are very important to us. I would like to hear from trappers how they feel about the programs that we are implementing, because it has been two to three seasons now that we’ve had this new program, which we are very happy with, by most accounts. So I would like to get some more feedback from them. I think our regional staff are best suited to conduct that and carry that out, and we’ll certainly commit to discussing this with our regional staff and make sure they engage the local trappers in this regard. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Your final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 242-15(3): Closure Of Trapping Facility In Vegreville

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I congratulate the Minister for working really hard on our behalf and on behalf of the trappers. I would like to ask the Minister, would he inform or advise his workers in the regions on things like this that we need to do and, most importantly, to inform the trappers that are going out into the region because if this industry dies that’s a crucial part of history dying with it. I guess I would ask the Minister would he look at this issue and have the trappers have a place in this department’s vision and goals in terms of a long-term goal of this government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 242-15(3): Closure Of Trapping Facility In Vegreville

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will. Support to the traditional economy and for the traditional economy is very important for this department. We’ll have continued discussions with committee about how we can continue to raise the profile of trapping. I think it’s very important, and I agree with the Member that if a generation loses their trapping skills, it would be very difficult to get them back. We have to do what we can to make sure the people who want to live this lifestyle can do so. Mr. Speaker, obviously it’s not an easy living. I think we recognize that. This is very difficult work, but I applaud the people who continue to make their living from the land and certainly the department is very interested in the support and I’m very interested in working with committee to make sure we can maintain a sustainable industry. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my written question is to the Honourable Floyd Roland, Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board.

Please provide the detailed guidelines, policies or regulations that allow for a sole-source/negotiated contract to happen with a party that did not meet the initial RFP criteria for the contract in question.