Debates of October 18, 2006 (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 120-15(5): Energy Efficiency Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member raises a good point and I know that we can give the same incentive that B.C. does. For sure, the incentive will be we have no sales tax and that won’t be a burden on the purchase of the vehicle, the very same incentive that B.C. is giving. It would be one step that we could make. I would also like to point out that when it comes to energy savings, conservation and protecting the environment, in my opinion, part of the incentive should be that virtue should be its own reward in this case where you know you are doing the right thing for very little money.

The one problem we do have, Mr. Speaker, is the resources that we do have are fully subscribed for. It would be nice to be able to look at something in the boreal forest area, for example, in terms of incentives for wood heat. That is an issue that we have out there. It’s just depending on the resources available. We are still waiting to hear from the federal government what their new Green Plan II is going to be, their Clean Air Act. Minister Lund from NRCan has indicated that they do have funding that was formally booked from the Liberal government that was there. It was to help communities and jurisdictions with environmentally friendly energy solutions. That, as well, has not yet been rolled back out so that we know how to subscribe to that. Should that occur, we will definitely have those kinds of options on our list. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 120-15(5): Energy Efficiency Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I would have to ask the Minister if he could explore the B.C. solution. He was saying something along the lines that we could do that. He did point out that we don’t offer PST and they do and they look at rolling back the PST, so the consumer can save. So I am not sure where we can really benefit from that. The Minister did say something along the lines of resources being a problem. I will tell you, I put my priorities in order personally and I think the government should. Mr. Speaker, we have a department that spends over $50 million, at least 40 percent of that is wages. We know through the Finance/Human Resource Minister that there is always a general, territorial-wide 17 percent average on employees. So there must be a little money that isn’t being spent. So, Mr. Speaker, I am asking the Minister for the Environment, could he look into that and commit today that he will find ways to make small programs available to the regular person? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 120-15(5): Energy Efficiency Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Member will recollect, last year there was a package of programs and subsidies and incentives that we did have. That money was voted by this Legislature to do the very things the Member asked. There were a lot of good ideas in there and the ideas the Member has mentioned are good ideas. We have them on our list and we are always looking for ways to implement them. As I indicated, if there is an opportunity to access federal money that will allow us to do that, we will do that. I will ask the deputy, as well, to check to see if we have some unsubscribed programs that may be better reprofiled in the areas the Member has suggested. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 120-15(5): Energy Efficiency Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we always have lists that we study to death. What I am asking for is a clear commitment from this Minister today. Yes or no; will we put action behind this? Will we make this a decisive decision in this House today to find ways to find good sensible programs for people to help them make environmentally sound choices? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 120-15(5): Energy Efficiency Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we want the same thing and I believe we have a number of initiatives that are addressing that. The Member has asked for another basket of incentives over and above that. I have committed to try to identify that. If we have ways of reprofiling any of our dollars and if there are any other federal dollars that may come available, we will look at trying to access those. I do believe that community energy plans, minor hydro projects like they are looking at in Whati and Lutselk’e, are very important and will affect the man on the street, the person who lives in the communities in a very clear, immediate way. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the honourable Minister of DPW with respect to the apprenticeship programs within the government department, particularly Public Works and Services. We do have tradespeople and journeymen people there. At one time, we did have an Apprenticeship Program where all our staff members would have apprentices. Is that program still in existence for our government, Mr. Speaker?

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

Return To Question 121-15(5): Apprenticeship Programs Under The Department Of Public Works And Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at one point, Public Works and Services was the largest, within government, producer of tradespeople through the Apprenticeship Program. For many years, the government, past governments, have taken a different direction and the staffing levels within the trades side of our department was privatized and that initiative wasn’t used as much. What we have done within the Government of the Northwest Territories, though, recently was to look at the Apprenticeship Program, the involvement that we have. Each department already has, through a number of programs, apprentices in place through the Housing Corporation, as well as the Department of Transportation and Education, Culture and Employment, which holds the Apprenticeship Program right now. We were directed through new initiatives to look at the Apprenticeship Program, so the Department of Public Works and Services, the Housing Corporation, Transportation, Education, Culture and Employment and Municipal and Community Affairs did a review of our levels of apprentices and looked at what we could try to do. That’s one of the areas. Unfortunately, right now, it would be categorized as a new initiative besides existing programs within Education, Culture and Employment and existing departments’ staffing levels that we have apprentices in. However, right now we are looking at it on a government-wide basis to see where we can try to improve in that area of apprenticeships. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Supplementary To Question 121-15(5): Apprenticeship Programs Under The Department Of Public Works And Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely, there is a gap there when we want to address our front-line workers. We spent many months talking on the management side of things, the succession planning for our managers, the MAP program, et cetera. We have spent very little or no time at all how we are going to replace the front-line workers and that’s one of them. There is no one to replace the front-line workers. So if the Minister could tell me again if that policy is gone, is that what he’s talking about when he says it’s a new initiative, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 121-15(5): Apprenticeship Programs Under The Department Of Public Works And Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Apprenticeship Program still exists and is operated through the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. However, as a new initiative, we are looking back at trying to step up the Government of the Northwest Territories in the area of apprenticeships and training. We’ve looked at that through all those departments, came up with a number and put it forward to FMB. Unfortunately, it falls under new initiatives. It would be future year requirements and would require some new funding in that area. However, the existing programs are still operated through the Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Time for oral questions has expired. However, I will allow the Member a supplementary question. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t know if…May I seek unanimous consent to extend item 5, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Menicoche, you can finish your line of supplementary questioning. Mr. Menicoche.

Supplementary To Question 121-15(5): Apprenticeship Programs Under The Department Of Public Works And Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to know further from the Minister, I think the Department of Public Works is taking on more and more of a workload because it’s getting very expensive out in the marketplace and their workers are being pressed to be out in the communities more and more servicing equipment. So will the Minister look at extending this program to his department and look at extending it throughout the government to train our northern workers in this gap, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 121-15(5): Apprenticeship Programs Under The Department Of Public Works And Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now within the Government of the Northwest Territories, the existing program we have, through the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, wage subsidies and so on for a private sector, as well as departments, to help fund if they are going to go into the area of hiring more apprentices. Within the Department of Public Works and Services, as I stated earlier, we have struggled in that area. At one time, we provided all of the maintenance, O and M in communities. Since then with hamlets and community governments taking on more and more of that responsibility, Public Works and Services has stepped out of there. Some of our staff have gone on and been hired by communities and what we would have in a number of our communities now, for example, would be some of our Public Works and Services staff who would be there to overlook maintenance and contracts and things in communities to ensure that our schools and health centres are functioning properly.

We have looked at getting back into that area. Unfortunately, it would require more funds to step up to that program level that we feel is necessary and we don’t have that at this time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Supplementary To Question 121-15(5): Apprenticeship Programs Under The Department Of Public Works And Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to make note that out of the 300 apprentices registered in the North each year, I don’t believe very many of them work for the government and I think our government should take the initiative and make spaces and time available to continue to train apprentices. Will the Minister commit to that, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 121-15(5): Apprenticeship Programs Under The Department Of Public Works And Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated earlier, we have, jointly through a number of departments, looked at the Apprenticeship Program and the training side to try to step up to the plate in that area and we are continuing the work on that initiative to try to see if we can bring something forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Time for oral questions has expired. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, may I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 6, oral questions?

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to item 6, oral questions. Are there any nays? There are no nays. We will return to item 6, oral questions. However, the Chair is going to call a short break before we go into oral questions.

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Before we go back to orders of the day and question period, I would just like to once again remind Members your rules around question period and the answers to oral questions. In the hour that we spent in oral questions previous to right now, we had nine Members who were allowed to ask questions and we had to extend the time to get the answers to those nine questions. I would ask Members to keep your preambles a bit shorter and the answers as well.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question at this time is for Mr. Handley as the Minister responsible for the Executive and it relates to the broad swath of cuts to numerous programs that the federal government announced late last month. The question I would like to ask, Mr. Speaker, is, from a government-wide perspective, what is the overall impact on our territory of the federal cuts on programs and services here in the NWT, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 122-15(5): Impact Of Federal Budget Reductions On Northern Programs And Services

Mr. Speaker, I don’t have an exact number. We have done an analysis across our departments and it is well in excess of $1 million. Mr. Speaker, I might be able to, in a minute, give you a detailed breakdown by department. The biggest one, of course, is with literacy as the one that affects us most, and the Status of Women who would be the other group who would also face a fairly big…and volunteerism. Mr. Speaker, off the top of my head, I don’t have the exact amount. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 122-15(5): Impact Of Federal Budget Reductions On Northern Programs And Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The quantitative assessment of how much and where is something I would pursue a bit later on, in fact in a written question. I guess I am seeking more an assessment of the qualitative impact on us. Is this something that through the Executive office, through other government ministries, what is the depth of hurt, of impact, of deterioration in our communities and in our programs because of these cuts, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 122-15(5): Impact Of Federal Budget Reductions On Northern Programs And Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, our Financial Management Board Secretariat has done that kind of analysis department by department. As I said earlier, the biggest cut certainly for any department or program is with the literacy programs. That is a major concern to us.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 122-15(5): Impact Of Federal Budget Reductions On Northern Programs And Services

Mr. Speaker, what steps has the government taken to tell Ottawa how angry we are with their actions?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 122-15(5): Impact Of Federal Budget Reductions On Northern Programs And Services

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Dent has written a letter to the Minister responsible for literacy programs. That has gone out. Mr. Dent is planning to attend a meeting next week on Tuesday with the same Minister on this issue. A letter is being drafted from myself to the Prime Minister on this issue as well as other issues, and this is certainly being a core piece of that letter. That letter should be going out of here very shortly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 122-15(5): Impact Of Federal Budget Reductions On Northern Programs And Services

Mr. Speaker, I hope the Premier doesn’t hold back the horses in expressing just how upset and angry, as I said earlier, we are, and by we I mean the collective community on the impact of these. Mr. Speaker, my final question is one of the steps as it relates to the tourism impact that I addressed earlier today and the requirement for new legislation to be passed forward in Ottawa. Will our government formally protest the passage of legislation regarding the GST and the Visitors’ Rebate Program, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 122-15(5): Impact Of Federal Budget Reductions On Northern Programs And Services

Mr. Speaker, certainly the tourist rebate issue is one that will be raised for sure. On the GST, I don’t know if we have raised that one, but I will certainly take it under consideration. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Premier in follow-up to somebody’s questions here today about the distribution of work amongst the Premier and the seven Cabinet Ministers. I observe what is happening in the Cabinet and I don’t sense that everybody is pulling the fair share of the weight, as the Premier indicated in an answer to an earlier question. He spoke to the even distribution of the work. I don’t think it is evenly distributed. I think some Cabinet Ministers are doing more than their share of work. I could go down the line one by one and tell you who I think is doing a lot of work, and who is doing a lot of good work and who isn’t. I could do that, too. Anyway, I won’t go down the line today, but I will tell you when I look at the workload, the only two people that I see who do not have a full plate, from my opinion, would be the Premier himself with Executive and Aboriginal Affairs and Mr. Krutko with the Power Corporation and the Housing Corporation. I think that that is too light and I would ask the Premier if he would seriously take into consideration a redistribution of the workload to ensure that priorities in our government are given the utmost attention. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.