No, I’m not aware that there is a vast discrepancy between the money that we provide as a government and the other governments across the country provide specifically for autism and Attention Deficit Disorder. I do recognize that it is fairly new work, but we are getting involved in many areas of this type of area where we’re starting to learn more about the impacts, and we’re learning more about the actual recognition or the prevalence of these various disabilities as we’re working at the national level with other jurisdictions. Thank you.
I’m disappointed that the Minister is not aware of the funding regimes between the NWT and other Canadian jurisdictions on Autism Spectrum Disorder.
If he’s not aware of it, would he direct the Department of Health and Social Services to review this issue that’s confronting the population of the NWT? Would he make an effort to ensure the public that this matter on Autism Spectrum Disorder will become a priority with the department, and that at some point he’ll report back to the House that a specific amount of funding will be allocated for this effort?
Like I indicated, we are getting more and more involved with this type of work. I don’t have the budget numbers here compared to the budget numbers of what the other jurisdictions are spending. I could easily get that information; I’m aware of that.
I know that as far as the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, we are pretty well at the same level with any jurisdiction across the country in our work. So specific to hyperactivity or attention deficit or autism, I don’t have that information, but my assumption is that we’re working with jurisdictions and we’re working with non-government organizations across the territory to try to support these individuals with their disabilities. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister commit to a yes or no, that at some point he’ll come back to the Assembly and give a specific number in terms of the value of priority of the GNWT on funding for Autism Spectrum Disorder? Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, I can do that. I can provide the information to the House on our work in all of these areas. I don’t have a problem with that. I can provide information on the amount of money that we’re spending in these areas. I can compare that with what other jurisdictions are doing as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Premier. I’d like to follow up on the discussion that he had with my colleague Mrs. Groenewegen yesterday on power and hydro grids and so on.
As we know, we’re approaching 25 to 30 cents, possibly greater – we have stipulated increases in our rates in this part of the Northwest Territories – whereas provincial rates are in the order of six or eight cents. I’m very disappointed that the Premier would encourage the impression that the Northwest Territories has any potential for selling power to the South. He mentioned the other big markets down there in Saskatchewan, BC and Alberta. Given our costs, and even with larger-scale developments, we could only sell power at a huge loss.
Would the Premier agree that it’s very irresponsible to leave the impression with the public that we would be selling power to the South and that this impression should be corrected? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wouldn’t think we’re misleading anybody. We are looking at a plan. We are looking at options and we have excess power. We are working on a business case. If the business case presents that it’s feasible to export power after we’ve looked at the northern demands first, then it’s something that we are looking at.
We could use all the extra power ourselves. Economically that’s been demonstrated. For some reason we’re not; we’re using fossil fuels instead. Again, the Premier did not refute the fact that we have 30 cent power, they have six to eight cents power. We are not going to be selling, so this is a very irresponsible position to take.
In contrast, and I’ve talked to people in the Hydro Corporation and the NWT Power Corporation and they agree with that, of course. Has the Premier talked to those people in the Hydro Corporation and the NWT Power Corporation? Mahsi.
I speak to them all the time. I speak to the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation all the time, and we are all working on developing a business case. We’re also developing the technical information to back it up.
Thank you. I’m glad to hear the Minister is talking to our people. Building transmission lines is extremely expensive. ATCO, during the most recent Taltson fiasco, came up with about $750,000 per kilometre. Now we’re talking about building grids to the South at that rate. So that puts us in the many millions of dollars, in addition to our 30 cent kilowatt hour of power cost, so now we add that to that cost to sell our power to the South. Clearly, that’s not about to happen.
I’d like to ask the Premier what the cost of a transmission line to the South would be. What are the estimates?
That’s what we’re doing, is developing a business case. I expect that would be somewhere in the order of 500 to 700 million dollars. It would all depend on whether there’s a business case or not.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope that seals the deal. I hope this does correct the impression for the public.
The last question I have, very briefly, is: Has the Premier informed our public that if we do in fact connect to these grids and import power, that we will be importing primarily coal power, the dirtiest possible fuel and the most inefficient use of fuel to generate electricity and the most damaging of the fuels to climate change? Has the Premier informed the public about that aspect as well?
I don’t follow his logic, but I’m not surprised that he’s not supportive of developing hydro, which is a very clean renewable resource. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions today for the Minister of Transportation in regard to the ferry operations and the Dempster Highway, specifically working with the gas situation in Inuvik. I just want to get an update on what’s happening with the Mackenzie ferry and what are the timelines he’s looking at in terms of operations at the Mackenzie ferry. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The operation in the Mackenzie Delta and in the Beaufort-Delta area is going to be enhanced this coming winter. We’ve put $400,000 into upgrading the Louis Cardinal so that it can operate in winter conditions and in ice conditions. We’ve set up two spray pumps so the ice crossings can be prepared as soon as possible. The anticipation, Mr. Speaker, is we will run both the Abraham Francis and the Louis Cardinal. The Abraham Francis is a cable ferry able to operate in ice conditions. So we will run both of those ferries until we get the ice crossings in place.
This is going to be a great advantage to the residents in the region. They won’t be faced with higher prices for goods that have to be airlifted over and into the region. So I think it’s going to be very beneficial not only for the situation with the gas in Inuvik but also for the consumer in the region, I think, and businesses as well. This coming fall I think it’s going to be a tremendous advantage. Thank you.
I know we’ve done some upgrades to the Louis Cardinal ferry at the Mackenzie Crossing. Have any upgrades or any enhancements been done to the Abraham Francis? I know it’s a smaller river and a smaller crossing, but would there been any disruptions in the crossing at the Abraham Francis that would affect all the investment that we put into the Louis Cardinal ferry to have a different impact on the opening of the road during this time?
As I mentioned, we have put $400,000 into upgrades on the Louis Cardinal. They include some frost fighters, some control system upgrades so the ferry is able to operate in winter conditions.
Again, with the Abraham Francis, it is a cable ferry and it can operate in winter conditions. We expect it will be able to perform in winter conditions for us and for the travelling public in the region and businesses in the region this coming fall.
We have also put $1.4 million in O and M funding into the region to maintain continuous service at both of those crossings during the freeze-up period. That was fully supported by MECC in response to the gas situation in Inuvik, but again it’s going to have more of a profound impact than just the gas situation in Inuvik. I think it’s going to be good for residents there to not be paying higher prices for goods this coming fall. Thank you.
In regards to the Dempster Highway there, has there been any additional costs for, not the upgrade, but mostly the maintenance for the transportation and the propane, and as soon as the LNG gets going with the Power Corp, are there going to be any extra maintenance costs to offset the extra wear and tear on the Dempster Highway for the next fiscal year or even as soon as it starts operating?
There would be some small costs associated with maintenance for the Dempster and I can get the Member those figures. I had mentioned earlier, we are putting in the $1.4 million to ensure the continuous services at both of those crossings. That figure of $1.4 million may include some of the maintenance work on the highway itself. So I will get that detailed information for the Member.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the upgrades to the Louis Cardinal and the ferry system, does the Minister expect any disruptions during that time? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Outside of Mother Nature, I don’t expect any delays, but I can’t predict water levels and storms and things like that. We anticipate that we will be able to operate both the Louis Cardinal and the Abraham Francis well into December, until such time we get the ice crossings in place. That’s the anticipation, Mr. Speaker, thank you.
Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment:
Please provide a listing of all programs and services that direct supports to single parents in the Sahtu communities.
Please provide a listing of the different types of infrastructure in place to support single parents who want to attend an educational institution or to gain employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table my news release regarding an innovative idea on how we can stimulate some good thinking and maybe some ideas to help solve the Giant Mine problem where we have arsenic that will be perpetually taken care of. I am suggesting, let’s reach out and coordinate. My press release spells that out. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, October 21, 2013, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that pursuant to Section 91 of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, the Legislative Assembly recommends to the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories the appointment of Mr. David Phillip Jones as Conflict of Interest Commissioner, effective December 1, 2013.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Ms. Bisaro.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, October 21, 2013, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that the Government of the Northwest Territories accept the measures and suggestions contained in the Report of Environmental Assessment and recommended by the Review Board pursuant to s. 130(1)(b)(i) of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act;
And further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories urge its federal counterparts to do the same, to ensure the timely and cooperative remediation of the Giant Mine. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Good afternoon, or is it still morning? I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. Yesterday when we left off, we were on general comments on Tabled Document 107-17(4), and that’s where we left off. I’d like to ask, what is the wish of committee. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We would like to continue consideration of Tabled Document 107-17(4) and continue with general comments.
Committee agreed?
Agreed.
Agreed. We will resume with that after a short break.
---SHORT RECESS
I would like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. I would like to ask Premier Bob McLeod if he would like to bring witnesses to the table and join us at the witness table for general comments.
Yes, I would, Madam Chair.
