On the higher end of core need income threshold we have too many people that are over that that are deemed to be able to secure a mortgage or are not in need of any subsidy from the Housing Corp. But it is something that we continue to monitor and look at, because the Member is correct that in some of the smaller communities there might not be a level playing field as some of the market communities. So this is all information that we plan to do a program review of the whole housing choices portfolio. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Sounds like there’s going to be a re-evaluation of the core need income threshold or the guidelines. Perhaps the Minister can tell me if that’s something they’re planning for April 1st, or is that something that the Minister and department can apply for this intake season, which the application was October 15th.
Thank you. The whole program review will be undertaken in the ‘11-‘12 Housing Choices Program. We have to, as a department, corporation, look at the core need income threshold and see if it’s meeting the needs of the people in the Northwest Territories, and our goal was to get more people into units. So as a corporation, becoming a little more flexible in how we try to get those people into units. I believe after this intake period we’re going to see success in getting more people into a lot of these units. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Time for question period has expired. Item 8, written questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to return to the orders of the day, item 7, oral questions.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask some questions to the Premier, who is also the Minister for the Executive, and I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement. I think these questions probably fall under his duties as Minister for the Executive. I mentioned in my statement that there was a program manual that was published, I think it was last year, a program manual for managers who deal with NGOs. I’d like to know what work has been undertaken by the GNWT as a result of that program manual for managers to deal with contracts more efficiently than what seems to be happening. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have that information at hand. I will have to get that and get back to the Member. Thank you.
I think that’s the shortest answer we’ve heard from the Minister all day.
Last May I had some questions about NGOs and volunteers and so on, and Minister R.C. McLeod at the time indicated that there was work on another manual, not the manual for GNWT program managers but a manual for NGOs to help them with protocols and how they should deal with the government and so on. He was going to get back to me on that and I haven’t seen anything. So I’d like to ask the Premier if he can advise whether or not there is a manual that is being developed for NGOs to help them in their dealings with the government. Thank you.
I know there has been ongoing work around the NGO, and the stabilization of funding and the process. There have been a number of departments involved: the Executive, Finance, as well as the Minister of Community Affairs. Again, on that piece of work I’ll have to get that information from the appropriate departments and get back to the Member. Thank you.
I appreciate the commitment on the part of the Minister and I look forward to that, hopefully a little sooner than from May to October.
Members have often spoken about it, I know I’ve often spoken about it, but there is a real need for this government to provide adequate and consistent funding to our NGOs. One of the things that the government has done, that I think has been received positively with our NGOs, is to establish an NGO Stabilization Fund, and the applications, I guess, have recently been finished for that fund. It’s based on awards that are determined by our GNWT staff and I don’t have any problem with that, I have faith in the staff that are doing the work, but I do have a concern in that I don’t believe there are any terms of reference or any guidelines for staff to work with in making these awards. So I’d like to know if the Premier can tell me or if the Minister can tell me that when the staff are looking at the awarding of funds for the NGO Stabilization Fund, what criteria do they use to make those decisions. Thank you.
The criteria used, again, we’ll get that information for the Member. There is work ongoing in that Stabilization Fund. Applications did go out and I believe they’re near making decisions as to where that would go. As well, I am informed that in November of this year there will be a forum for NGOs to go through some of this work. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Your final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the commitment from the Premier to get that information. I will look forward to that.
I did ask the Premier’s office whether or not there were criteria for the NGO Stabilization Fund and the answer that I got back didn’t indicate that there were any. So I would hope if there are some that the Minister will be able to get those for me.
I have stressed the need for long-term stable funding for NGOs. The Minister references a forum that is upcoming in November and that’s good to hear. Will part of the forum discussions, deliberations, will it look at and take into account the need for our NGOs to have long-term stable funding? Thank you.
The information I have is that the forum is based on capacity building, sharing best practices, improving governance and management, and strengthening the working relationship with government departments. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
WHEREAS Section 16.(2) of the Northwest Territories Human Rights Act provides that the Human Rights Commission is composed of such members, between three and five in number, as may be appointed by the Commissioner on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly;
AND WHEREAS one of the five commission appointments expired on June 30, 2010;
AND WHEREAS another commission appointment was left vacant due to a commission member’s resignation;
AND WHEREAS the Board of Management is tasked with recommending individuals to the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Assembly is prepared to make a recommendation to the Commissioner;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that the following individuals be appointed by the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories to the Human Rights Commission for the Northwest Territories effective November 1, 2010:
Mr. Roger Wah-Shee of the city of Yellowknife for a term of four years, and
Mr. William Turner of the city of Yellowknife for a term of four years.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. There is a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called.
---Carried
The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
WHEREAS Section 61 of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act permits the appointment of an Information and Privacy Commissioner by the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, after the approval of the appointment by resolution of the Legislative Assembly;
AND WHEREAS the Legislative Assembly considers the appointment of an Information and Privacy Commissioner essential to exercise the powers and perform the duties under the act;
AND WHEREAS the term of the Information and Privacy Commissioner expired on June 30, 2010;
AND WHEREAS the Legislative Assembly is of the opinion that the appointment of an Information and Privacy Commissioner should now be made to be effective on November 1, 2010;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that pursuant to Section 61 of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, that Elaine Keenan-Bengts be appointed as Information and Privacy Commissioner;
AND FURTHER, that the appointment be effective November 1, 2010.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. There is a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called.
---Carried
The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
WHEREAS Tabled Document 75-16(5) has been tabled in this House;
AND WHEREAS the Response of the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project on the Federal and Territorial Governments’ Interim Response to “Foundation for a Sustainable Northern Future” requires detailed consideration;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that Tabled Document 75-16(50, Response of the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project on the Federal and Territorial Governments’ Interim Response to “Foundation for a Sustainable Northern Future” be referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. There is a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called.
---Carried
Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 4-16(5), Executive Summary of the Report of the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project; Tabled Document 30-16(5), 2010 Review of Members’ Compensation and Benefits; Tabled Document 38-16(5), Supplementary Health Benefits – What We Heard; Tabled Document 62-16(5), Northwest Territories Water Stewardship Strategy; Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012; Tabled Document 75-16(5), Response to the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project on the Federal and Territorial Governments’ Interim Response to “Foundation for a Sustainable Northern Future;”Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Social Assistance Act; Bill 8, Social Work Profession Act; and Bill 9, An Act to Amend the Tourism Act, with Mr. Abernethy in the chair.
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. We have before us for consideration: Tabled Document 4-16(5), Tabled Document 30-16(5), Tabled Document 38-16(5), Tabled Document 62-16(5), Tabled Document 66-16(5), Tabled Document 75-16(5), and Bill 4, Bill 8, and Bill 9. What is the wish of committee? Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We would like to proceed with the consideration of the capital for Municipal and Community Affairs, then move on to the Department of Justice. Time permitting, we would also like to go to Human Resources today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Is committee agreed?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. When we return from break, we’ll go to Tabled Document 66-16(5) with MACA, Justice and HR. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. Prior to the break we agreed we’d continue with Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012, with the Department of MACA. So we’ll move to the Department of MACA to page 4-2. We are going to defer the first page, 4-2, and we’re going to move straight into detail. Is committee agreed, 4-4?
Agreed.
Okay. Activity summary, regional operations, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Krutko, I apologize. I forgot to ask the Minister if he wanted to bring in any witnesses. Minister Robert McLeod, MACA.
Yes, Mr. Chair, I will, I would.
Committee agreed that we bring the witnesses in?
Agreed.
Agreed. Thank you, Mr. Minister. If I could get the Sergeant-at-Arms to please bring the witnesses in. I was just a little excited. Get on with it, you know? Good chair, good chair.
Thank you. Mr. Minister, can I please get you to introduce your witness.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have with me Mr. Mike Aumond, deputy minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
