Debates of October 21, 2004 (day 25)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today was a good day in the Legislative Assembly in that I believe we, as elected Members, sit on committees and sit through briefings and at conferences all the time on the subject of the Mackenzie gas pipeline, and quite often we begin to assume that everyone in the public has access to the same kind of information and the same kind of debate that we do. So I think we accomplished something good here today in the fact that we have provided a strong message for our Premier and our Deputy Premier as they go off to Ottawa. As the Premier said, people will be listening to this. We’ve taken a strong position, but I believe it is a good position and I think that the culmination of the day’s comments and questions are reflected in this motion that has been brought forward.

I know that there is some concern that perhaps the motion didn’t go far enough in terms of bringing in the question of devolution, but, Mr. Speaker, I support the premise that devolution is a subject which does need to be pursued. If we can break off a piece that can give us a tangible result in terms of an interim agreement on royalties, then we will have accomplished something.

It is a mammoth task. We do wish the Premier well in his deliberations and communications with the federal officials and, with that, Mr. Speaker, I just thank the Members for their input and participation in this and we will request a recorded vote. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Member is requesting a recorded vote. All those in favour of the motion, please rise.

Mr. Ramsay, Mr. Pokiak, Mr. Villeneuve, Mr. Zoe, Mr. Menicoche, Ms. Lee, Mr. Yakeleya, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Miltenberger, Mr. Krutko, Mr. Roland, Mr. Handley, Mr. Dent, Mr. McLeod, Mr. Bell, Mrs. Groenewegen.

All those opposed, please rise.

Mr. Braden.

All those abstaining, please rise. Results: the motion is carried with 16 Members in support, one Member opposed. The motion is carried.

---Carried

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 17, Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. A motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Territorial Court Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. A motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, that Bill 15, Tlicho Community Services Agency Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill established the Tlicho Community Services Agency, to perform functions related to education, health and social services in Tlicho communities and on Tlicho lands. The agency is required by the Tlicho Intergovernmental Services Agreement made under the Tlicho Land Claims and Self-Government Agreement.

The agency will be an agent of the Government of the Northwest Territories and will be a public agency listed in schedule A of the Financial Administration Act. Since most of its employees will be public servants, the agency will be listed in schedule A of the Public Service Act.

The agency will be composed of five members. Each community government will appoint one member and the fifth member will be a chairperson appointed by the Minister.

In accordance with the Tlicho Intergovernmental Services Agreement, the agency will continue to perform the functions of the Dogrib Divisional Education Council under the Education Act, including delivering the kindergarten to Grade 12 education program in accordance with standards established by the Government of the Northwest Territories.

The agency will also continue to perform the functions of the Dogrib Community Services Board, including the functions of a board of management under the Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act and other acts in accordance with applicable laws and with standards established by the Government of the Northwest Territories.

The agency may, with the consent of the Government of the Northwest Territories, perform additional roles assigned or delegated to it by the Tlicho government or by the Government of Canada.

The existing Dogrib Divisional Education Council and the Dogrib Community Services Board will be dissolved. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the principle of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of this bill. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see this day. It’s been a long time coming.

---Applause

The only day I’ll be happier is when this bill and the bill that is now working its way through Parliament have both been made into law and our Tlicho agreement can finally be put into effect.

Mr. Speaker, this is the last of the three bills the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories needs to pass to do our part to bring the Tlicho agreement into force. It’s very encouraging to see this bill and the federal bill introduced this week. The Tlicho people have been waiting a long time for this. It took many years of long, difficult, expensive negotiations to get here.

The Tlicho agreement is groundbreaking and sets a new standard across Canada. This is a new relationship we’re building and there’s no doubt in my mind that this is good for the Tlicho, for the Northwest Territories, and for Canada as a whole. The collaboration between the Tlicho team and the Government of the Northwest Territories team to draft this legislation is an example of this new relationship, and they should be commended for that. Their hard work on this bill is very much appreciated.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Minister for bringing this bill to the House during this session and I look forward to seeing it enacted in the near future. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Zoe. To the principle of the bill.

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 16, Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill establishes the Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation. The purpose of the corporation is to support the economic objectives of the Government of the Northwest Territories by encouraging the creation and development of business enterprises and by providing information and financial assistance to, and making investments in, such enterprises. This bill also repeals the Northwest Territories Business Credit Corporation Act and the Northwest Territories Development Corporation Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the principle of the bill. I’d like to see the fact that this bill helps to redefine how we deal with things. Mr. Speaker, the old bill dealt with confidentiality, as rumoured, being told, as the bank-of-well-connected. I hope this new bill brings forward better rules for better disclosure and I look forward to that.

Mr. Speaker, the business development fund was set out to help business and I’m glad that this is being updated and replaced. But when I read the report we see $100,000 in a way of being treated as a travel agency, not to business development. Mr. Speaker, I see it as not a recovery plan, I see it not to save businesses from lost revenue or outstanding fees that they couldn’t pay, I see it as supporting businesses to help them with tools. In principle I want to say that this new bill brings forward those types of initiatives to help support businesses. So I support the bill in principle and I look forward to the open discussion we will have once it’s on the road. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. To the principle of the bill.

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Menicoche.

Madam Chair, I wish to report progress.

Say it again.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that we report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The motion is in order, it's not debatable. All those in favour of the motion? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Do we have a seconder? The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko. The motion is in order.

Question.

All in favour? Opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, that Bill 14, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2003-2004, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. There is a motion on the floor. The motion is in order.

Question.

Question is being called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Orders of the day for Friday, October 22nd, at 10:00 a.m.:

Prayer

Ministers' Statements

Members' Statements

Returns to Oral Questions

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Oral Questions

Written Questions

Returns to Written Questions

Replies to Opening Address

Petitions

Reports of Standing and Special Committees

Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills

Tabling of Documents

Notices of Motion

Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

Motions

- Motion 16, Appointment of Sole Adjudicators

- Motion 17, Appointment of Human Rights

Adjudication Panel

- Motion 18, Single Power Rate Zone

First Reading of Bills

Second Reading of Bills

- Bill 17, Modernization of Benefits and Obligations

Act

- Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Territorial Court Act

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

- Minister's Statement 48-15(3), Sessional Statement

- Minister's Statement 49-15(3), Fiscal Update

- Minister's Statement 54-15(3), Progress Report on

Health and Social Services in the NWT

- Bill 13, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2,

2004-2005

Report of Committee of the Whole

Third Reading of Bills

Orders of the Day

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Friday, October 22, 2004, at 10:00 a.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 5:45 p.m.