Mr. Speaker, since the Joint Review Panel hearings concluded almost two years ago, preparations have been made to ensure that the Government of the Northwest Territories has all the necessary tools to participate and represent the best interests of Northerners and the regulatory process of this highly anticipated project.
We are nearing the end of the environmental assessment review process. The Joint Review Panel will be releasing its report and recommendations in two short months.
As we speak, much work has been underway to get ready for the release of this report. A Joint Review Panel review team has been established to coordinate the Government of the Northwest Territories review to the recommended measures. Even today, Mr. Speaker, Environment and Natural Resources employees are meeting in Calgary to discuss important issues regarding the Mackenzie Gas Project Joint Review Panel. We will have a short window to consider the Joint Review Panel report so we are ensuring we are ready to hit the ground running.
Based on the timeline for release of the Joint Review Panel report, the National Energy Board recently announced it intends to hear final arguments on the Mackenzie Gas Project application in April 2010. The National Energy Board has indicated that they will deliver their reasons for decision in September 2010.
We anticipate that, following a positive decision by the National Energy Board, receipt of a number of regulatory permits and updating of their financial
analysis, the Mackenzie Gas Project proponents will be in a position to make a decision to construct by late 2011.
With a positive decision by the proponents, our expectation is that construction on this unprecedented project will begin immediately. Gas is expected to flow from the Mackenzie Gas Project by 2016.
As you all know, up to this point significant human and financial resources have been invested to support our residents, businesses, aboriginal organizations and communities to help develop the necessary capacity that will allow them to take full advantage of the benefits generated by the project.
Apart from its numerous economic benefits, which I have emphasized time and again, this project also has environmental benefits which we must consider.
In North America, the completion of the Mackenzie Gas Project will help displace other fossil fuels that produce much more significant greenhouse gas emissions.
It is imperative that this cleaner fuel be brought to market to contribute to the battle on climate change.
It is encouraging to see the sustained efforts of federal Environmental Minister Prentice to ensure the smooth development and a fruitful conclusion to the fiscal discussions between the Government of Canada and the project proponents. As reported in the media earlier this week and confirmed to us by the federal government, these negotiations continue.
We also commend the Northwest Territories Chamber of Commerce and their success in having the Canadian Chamber adopt a significant resolution of support for the Mackenzie Gas Project and maximizing First Nations’ involvement. This work will help keep the profile of this project at the highest levels in the business community and on the national stage.
Also more evidence that things are moving in the right direction is the recently concluded access and benefits agreement of the K’asho Got’ine district in the Sahtu region. This means that only one more access and benefits agreement needs to be signed in order to ensure that all affected regions secure enhanced benefits along the pipeline corridor.
We remain hopeful that the Dehcho First Nations will also participate fully in the Aboriginal Pipeline Group and thus realize significant and long-term economic return from this project through direct ownership.
This project is another opportunity to ensure a positive future for our children. It is the first step of what promises to be an unprecedented era of prosperity and stability in our part of Canada.
As we reach the conclusion of the regulatory process, I invite all Members to join me in confirming our commitment to the economic future of the Northwest Territories and the environmental benefits that this project will bring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to provide an update on the delivery of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation’s capital acquisition plan for 2009-10. In May the governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories announced in excess of $117 million in investments in housing in the Northwest Territories over the next two years. These investments are intended to be an economic stimulus and job creation initiative, as well as an important investment in social housing.
As Members are aware, this funding has been characterized as “use it or lose it” as all funds must be committed by March 31, 2011, or we risk having them clawed back by Canada. We take this risk very seriously, Mr. Speaker, and I am pleased to inform this House that our successes and progress to date leave me very confident that every dollar announced by both levels of government will be invested in our communities through new housing construction and the renovation and retrofit of existing units.
As of today, nearly 400 housing projects have been completed or are under construction in our communities. This represents 67 percent of our planned delivery for this construction year. Housing construction and repair activity is ongoing in all our communities. New public housing replacement units have been provided in Yellowknife, Fort Simpson, Hay River, Lutselk’e and Aklavik. New homeownership units have been completed in Whati, Fort Liard and Fort Smith among other communities, while major modernization and improvements to public housing have been completed in Behchoko, Fort Providence, Wrigley and Tuktoyaktuk.
Every community in our Territory will see investments in housing through this construction initiative. We will replace existing units through the Public Housing Program, as well as provide homeownership opportunities through our Housing Choices programs. The NWTHC is currently accepting applications for its Housing Choices programs, and residents are encouraged to contact the Housing Corporation office in their region to make an appointment to apply for assistance.
Dwellings constructed or repaired must be built to a high standard of energy efficiency. The NWT Housing Corporation’s new EnerGuide 80 housing designs will exceed the minimum standards being asked for by Canada. Our new construction standards, together with the energy audits and retrofits that are scheduled to be completed this year, are an important part of the Housing Corporations contribution to achieving the 16th Assembly’s goal of an environment that will sustain present and future generations.
Mr. Speaker, our investments in housing over the next two years will go a long way in achieving the goals we have set out as the 16th Assembly to improve the lives of our residents now and into the future. Housing is a key contributor to the goals of sustainable, vibrant and safe communities, environmental sustainability, improved health and education rates, and is a key economic contributor in every community in our Territory. Our housing investments, together with the other initiatives of our government, are the right approaches for these times of economic challenge.
New housing construction and repair can have a significant impact on local economies. According to Statistics Canada, for residential construction activities in the NWT, 3.5 person years of employment are created for every $1 million in activity. Mr. Speaker, with a total residential construction in 2009-10 of $79 million, we anticipate that creating 279 person years of employment in the NWT.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, while we commend the federal government for their share of NWT investments made in recent years in northern housing, it is important to note that all of the federal spending has required the NWT to match dollar for dollar. The housing conditions faced in our communities and in Nunavut and the Yukon demand a longer-term solution. I, along with my colleagues Ministers Tootoo and Kenyon, are lobbying the federal government to agree to a new approach to northern housing. This approach is intended to make capital investments permanent and to include funding for the operation and maintenance of new units. It would also deal with the issue of declining funding for the operation and maintenance of existing units. We look forward to the upcoming meeting with the federal Minister, which will occur sometime before Christmas, to continue to make the case for a new approach to providing housing in the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Last week I was talking with a constituent who had concerns about aboriginal elders. He thought that too many elders are diagnosed with cancer too late for them to benefit from treatment. There have been, in the past, cases of an elder living a very healthy lifestyle, who came to the health clinic in a very bad state. He was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in less than two weeks. It was a terrible shock for the family and the community.
Treatments for cancer have improved a great deal over the years. If there had been some kind of screening process to identify this elder’s illness, with treatment he would have likely enjoyed many more good years. However, being diagnosed so late, he didn’t have a chance.
We have very good health services in the Northwest Territories and we strive to make it better. We need to ensure that elders have information about recognizing signs that might be indicators of cancer. It is important that they receive this information in their own language as well, Mr. Speaker.
If we’re able to reach elders in communities to ensure that they are screened for cancer, it would help. Early detection has proven to reduce death rates. For example, colorectal cancer screening programs can reduce death rates by 15 to 33 percent.
Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss not to mention the joint efforts of North Cariboo Air or the pilot Steve Malesku and our health services in Fort Liard who have offered and donated flights to Yellowknife for breast cancer scans.
---Applause
These are the types of efforts we need to make sure that if an elder has cancer, it is detected early and it may be treatable. This could be done with an annual visit of a medical team holding a clinic specifically for elders and other people at risk. The clinic could be promoted and efforts made to get people to attend. At that time, it should be possible to complete testing or at least schedule testing. This is just one suggestion for ensuring our elders get the individual care they deserve.
I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services to develop a strategy to ensure that elders have the opportunity to be screened for cancer so that they can receive their rightful benefits to our health care system. Mr. Speaker, I will engage the Minister in a discussion of this matter during question period. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to speak about a program called Certificate of Recognition, also known as COR. As some of you may know, COR is a health and safety certificate program for the construction industry in Canada. In the Northwest Territories, this program is delivered by the Northern Construction Safety Association in partnership with the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission. The COR program is designed to equip participants with the resources and skills to develop and maintain accredited in-house safety management systems unique to their workplace. To be certified, participants complete three compulsory courses, one elective course and must conduct a safety audit. The Certificate of Recognition program is available to all members and associate members of the Construction Association, from owner-operators to larger corporations.
The COR certification program is designed to fit the specific requirements of the construction industry needs, whether the company is large or small. As an example, if you are a small employer, there is a COR program for your company with less than 10 employees. The COR program is intended to complement the Safe Advantage Program offered by WSCC, which recognizes the safety performance of large NWT companies by offering them some reduced premiums and improved performance.
Mr. Speaker, the program provides contractors with practical solutions for a safer workplace, offering a simple, straightforward approach to safety. Ultimately, and most importantly, these programs reduce the human and financial losses which are associated with workplace accidents. In many ways, the COR program seems to be the ideal fit for Northerners and industry. It is easy to deliver, simple to understand and implement, available in many of our small communities and various regions at simple request.
The goal of the Northern Construction Association is to increase the participation of NWT construction companies, both small and large, in the COR program, to ensure safe northern workplaces. One of the ways to achieve their goal for safe northern workplaces is to ensure all companies implement health and safety programs such as the COR program in their day-to-day operations. Other jurisdictions in Canada such as the Yukon have implemented legislation or policy requirements that these companies achieve and maintain their COR certification. I believe the Government of the Northwest Territories should consider and move towards implementing a similar program in the Northwest Territories to help companies move towards this type of goal.
Mr. Speaker, later today I will have questions for the Minister of Public Works to see if we can look into this initiative and make sure it is a territorial initiative for all large and small communities and all the large and small businesses. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about an access road for the community of Lutselk’e. The community has been asking for a road to Austin Lake for quite some time now. Having this road will allow the residents access to points of interest, recreation and tourist opportunities and much used traditional harvesting area.
Mr. Speaker, the government has had a few access road programs, but over the years these programs have undergone change in both its mandate and, more importantly, its budget allocations. Currently, the Department of Transportation has a Community Local Access Roads Program with just over $300,000 in the program. Three hundred thousand dollars to serve 33 communities works out to about $9,000 per community. What can communities access with that?
Mr. Speaker, here in the NWT many of our communities, like Lutselk’e, are isolated. Many rely on traditional basic economies such as hunting, trapping and fishing to put food on the table and generate much needed income. Doing this will also help them offset some of the high cost that comes with living in smaller, isolated communities. So it only makes sense, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the communities, such as Lutselk’e, that we take another look at the Community Access Road Program and start making changes to the program or looking at introducing a new access program that can provide meaningful assistance to these communities so they can start accessing these important areas.
Austin Lake is one such area, Mr. Speaker. It is a rich renewable resource harvesting area. In addition, many hydro projects have been planned for Snowdrift River, which is just outside of Lutselk’e and about half way to Austin Lake. The road can be built to the many hydro stations from Lutselk’e to Snowdrift River to accommodate the transmission line. With the mini-hydro already underway, we are presented with a great opportunity to incorporate a collaborative effort to kick-start the Austin Lake project.
Mr. Speaker, as I talked about before in the House, it is very important that economic opportunities for Lutselk’e for a project such as this be considered.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to complete my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, this project and the Austin Lake road project have tremendous opportunity to effect substantial changes for the community on many fronts. It’s not only an access road for the community, it’s an access road to community wellness. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member’s statement is on the project management and community centre construction in Sachs Harbour.
Sachs Harbour heard their funding was confirmed for the construction of the community centre. There was hope and optimism in the air. When the construction started and finished last December, the community was very excited. One year later it is problem after problem and the project keeps the doors closed for the community.
When the NWT fire marshal inspected the facility, he gave it a failing grade and he did not approve it for general public use. Last December the community centre was transferred to the Hamlet of Sachs Harbour, even though much more work was needed. Since then, the project has been stumbling along.
Mr. Speaker, Sachs Harbour is the most northern community in this Territory and experiences the most challenges when it comes to construction projects such as this, compounded by the hamlet office that is already overworked and overstretched. Every month that the facility is not being used, the community does not generate rental revenue to keep that centre open.
Mr. Speaker, in a small, remote community like Sachs Harbour, the community centre is a focal point. It’s where the people gather to share each other’s company, where they go to participate in workshops and forums, and a place where they go to celebrate and hold community feasts. The community is afraid that the longer the facility sits empty, the more expensive it will be to complete the final details of the construction.
The community is asking for a project manager to help in the coordination and operation of this facility during the final phases of construction so that it can be opened to the community for their Christmas celebrations. Therefore, I urge the government to seriously consider the request from the community of Sachs Harbour regarding this building. Mr. Speaker, I will have more questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ferry service throughout the Northwest Territories is an essential service to deliver goods and services and also for the public to travel, hopefully as long as they can. Mr. Speaker, the ferry operations in the Mackenzie Delta have been closed on the Mackenzie River last week, but there’s been talk about closing the Peel River Ferry at kilometre 74 this weekend, which, Mr. Speaker, I received some photographs from my constituency assistant and sent it off to the Minister to clearly demonstrate there is no ice on the river, it is wide open. Yet, Mr. Speaker, they’re intending to shut down this ferry because of so-called ice conditions. Mr. Speaker, in most cases there is a process that’s followed in regard to giving 72 hours notice and then they go to 48 hours down to 24 hours so that we can notify the travelling public.
Mr. Speaker, ferry service is an essential service in order to ensure that we are able to move goods and services and the general public for as long as possible, regardless if you’re in the South Slave dealing with the ferry crossing in Fort Providence or the crossing on the Liard. Whatever we can do as a government and as the Department of Transportation to ensure we provide these services for as long as possible makes sense to do so, and basically the ferry operation is not a threat. I believe that we should do whatever we can, realizing the mild conditions we’re seeing this fall, if there’s a possibility of these ferry operations running well over the present season and into possibly the next couple of weeks.
So I’d like, at the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, to ask the Minister of Transportation exactly what can the department do to assure the residents of the Mackenzie Delta, and especially Fort McPherson, that we will continue the ferry operations on the Peel River and that it does not close this weekend. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s a song that goes something like this, “wintertime is coming, wintertime is coming.” However, I’m not allowed to sing it, so I’m going to say, Mr. Speaker, that winter is here and it’s time to turn up the heat in the Sahtu. I’m not talking about global warming, Mr. Speaker, I’m talking about providing affordable heat to homes and businesses in the Sahtu region.
Earlier this session, I stood up and talked about the energy initiatives in my region and I would like to come back to that today, Mr. Speaker, because it’s a hot issue. I don’t think there are any or enough energy initiatives being done in the Sahtu. For example, I see significant investments in geothermal technology and expansion of residual heat in the Nahendeh and Deh Cho. The Inuvialuit Settlement Region will see a huge wind project and the South Slave has some very impressive projects to reduce the high cost of energy and they’re fast to construct mini-hydro in other areas, then the Sahtu. Deline has been waiting 16 years to construct their mini-hydro project. Mr. Speaker, even a wood pellet boiler right here in the Legislative Assembly.
All of these energy initiatives are in the thousands of dollars, if not millions. Mr. Speaker, this year the Government of the Northwest Territories plans to invest $100,000 in energy feasibility studies in the Sahtu. They hope the return of the allocated $100,000 investment will see action in the Sahtu real soon, not eight years down the road. Heating costs in our communities have remained very high. We spend a lot of money building facilities like pools and arenas, but they become too expensive to operate, because we can’t afford the heat and we have to close these key facilities due to non-payment of our power bills.
So this afternoon I would like to hear about the Mackenzie Gas Project update and how the Government of the Northwest Territories can look at the possibilities of converting some of the Sahtu communities to natural gas for power generation and heat.
Mr. Speaker, we need to use this energy wisely. We should consider residual heat and cogeneration facilities, where the heat generated from the power production is used to heat buildings in communities. It is frustrating to see energy waste when we pay so much to heat our homes and many of these costs in the small communities are paid for by subsidies that come from our tax dollars.
Mr. Speaker, public money should be put to good use. We need to invest in long-term plans to reduce the costs of living, to create sustainable communities. Mr. Speaker, the investment I see in other parts of the Northwest Territories let me know that we have the ability to develop better energy strategies for the Sahtu. We are at the beginning of another long, cold winter. We must act now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak today about the Deh Cho Bridge project. For years I’ve questioned the process that allowed the decision to build the Deh Cho Bridge. Mr. Speaker, I’m still of the opinion that both the Deh Cho Bridge Act, which was passed late in the life of the 14th Legislative Assembly, and the eventual process that allowed the Government of the Northwest Territories to enter into the concession agreement with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation was, indeed, thoroughly flawed.
The bridge is being built, Mr. Speaker, and I realize I just can’t fight the process any longer. What I will and can do is continue to monitor the project in an effort to try to minimize our government’s exposure to financial risks. I will question any increase to the already absurd amount of public dollars that are going to go into this bridge over the next 35 years.
Mr. Speaker, what kind of government would knowingly spend $160 million to increase the cost of living to all communities in the North Slave region or those serviced by air from Yellowknife? The fact is, there are going to be tolls on all goods being transported across the bridge at Fort Providence. Rest assured these costs will be passed on to consumers on food, home heating fuel, gas, on building materials, on everything, Mr. Speaker.
From a public interest standpoint, there remains many questions. Firstly, where exactly is the finalized bridge design? How come it has not been concluded as of yet? It is obvious, Mr. Speaker, that in order to protect the interest of the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Department of Transportation has stepped into the overall management of the project in a big way and I want to thank the Minister for doing that, although this does come with a cost.
Then, Mr. Speaker, how many liens are currently placed against the project? How exactly is the public purse exposed in these areas? I have never understood why the government did not include the installation, maintenance and operation of the toll system into the concession agreement, which to me continues to defy any logic. This large oversight has forced us to incur a million dollars in capital costs and the government does not yet have a handle or know exactly what the system will cost on an annual basis to add to our already $4 million a year effort into that bridge.
Mr. Speaker, now that the bridge is being built and DOT is involved in the project management…
Mr. Ramsay, your time for your Member’s statement is expired.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now that the bridge is being built and DOT is involved in the project management, we have to, now more than ever, step up the oversight on the project as it moves forward. I will have questions for the Minister of Transportation at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this week I had the privilege of attending the Feeding Change supper at the Salvation Army. More than 50 individuals, representatives of low income residents and social justice groups and agencies, attended to discuss poverty issues and solutions and share experience and learn about the anti-poverty campaign, Dignity for All.
The Dignity for All campaign is a national movement partnering 14 social justice organizations and endorsed by 175 organizations and increasing numbers of politicians at all levels nationwide. The goals are the creation of a federal plan that complements provincial/territorial plans to eliminate poverty, creation of a federal act for poverty elimination, and federal investment for social wellness for all Canadians.
Confrontation of poverty is based on a fundamental assumption. All citizens have the right to a standard of living adequate to the health and well-being of their families and themselves.
The need for coordinated government action recognizes that the prosperity of all citizens can’t increase when governments spend about $100 billion per year fighting the effects of poverty, money which might be better spent addressing the issue head on; a preferred approach, I believe, of our government.
Regionally, Quebec, Newfoundland, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Manitoba have all created anti-poverty strategies with fixed program budgets, comprehensive implementation plans and clear targets for evaluating progress. New Brunswick and Yukon are now working on theirs and community groups in Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan are all calling for their provinces to establish anti-poverty strategies.
Mr. Speaker, we have also been called upon to act, to confront social conditions and inequities that are amongst the worst in Canada. Alternatives North’s report in 2006, Poverty, A Whispered Word, and their 2009 review of GNWT poverty reduction policies and programs calls upon this government to confront poverty with a clear, comprehensive and unified strategy. Currently we do not even have an official definition of poverty. While we have many programs dealing with the symptoms and results of poverty or housing and homelessness, addictions and mental illness, criminal justice in corrections, illiteracy and social assistance, we have no coordinated plan of attack. We can’t cure the results without confronting the problem as a whole.
Despite our amazing economic growth…
Mr. Bromley, your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Thank you, colleagues. Despite our amazing economic growth over the past decade, our poverty issues remain flat-lined or worse now. Evidence clearly shows that economic growth alone does not resolve poverty. Over the next week, I will be asking Ministers questions on this issue. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk a little about the secondary diamond industry in the Northwest Territories, specifically the cutting and polishing plants.
The Northwest Territories is a leader in the diamond industry within Canada. The North was the first jurisdiction to bring cutting and polishing of Canadian diamonds to Canada. Bringing the industry here wasn’t without significant challenges, many of which the Territory and the company cutting and polishing diamonds overcame. Others are still posing challenges.
As a government, we provided funding, facilitated training, conducted marketing, arranged for branding. The list can go on and on and on. We have done a lot. Unfortunately, the local industry is still struggling. Fortunately, there are still cutting and polishing plants in the NWT. They are still trying to make a go of it in these difficult economic times. They are still working to employ more workers. Arslanian Diamonds in Yellowknife recently announced that they are starting to rebuild their workforce after layoffs late last year.
You would think that as a Territory, the first area of Canada to pursue and support this secondary industry, we would have adapted and learned from the challenges that we faced. That this Territory would be the strongest secondary diamond industry in the country.
Unfortunately, recent evidence suggests that we are falling behind rapidly. It looks like other jurisdictions have learned from the challenges we faced and have found ways to make the secondary diamond industry work within their provinces, places like Saskatchewan and Ontario. We have forged the way and they have learned from our reactions and responses to the challenges that we faced.
Recently a new polishing plant has opened in Saskatchewan, Embee Diamond Technologies Inc. What is interesting is that they found a way to open a new facility in the same market conditions which almost completely shut down the NWT cutting and polishing industry. Even more interesting is that Embee’s president, Mike Botha, is finding a way to make it work in Saskatchewan. Some of you might actually remember this name. Mike Botha worked as an occupational certification officer for the diamond industry in the Northwest Territories under the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and was also a technical consultant for the Department of ITI for the government Diamond Certification Program.
Mr. Speaker, it appears to me that our former employees learned enough about the industry to make secondary diamond industries work in different Canadian jurisdictions, yet we continue to struggle here. What is this government going to do to reverse that trend and put the NWT back on top as a Canadian leader in this secondary diamond industry? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has been over a week since municipal Election Day. As with any competition, there were some winners and there were some losers. I offer my hearty congratulations to the newly elected mayors and councils and a sincere thank you to all of those who ran, winners or not.
In my Member’s statement prior to the elections, I encouraged residents to get out and vote, and to get out and vote in large numbers. Well, that didn’t quite happen, but we did have an increased voter turnout in at least three of the six communities where elections were held. Previous years' election data couldn’t be confirmed for three of the communities, so that number could be higher. The percentage of voter turnout on October 19th ranged from 42 percent in Fort Simpson -- the highest they had ever seen, apparently -- to 67 percent in Norman Wells. That is not fantastic, but on average one of every two registered voters in the NWT came out to vote and that is pretty good.
Those results got me thinking about how we could increase interest in municipal elections and in community affairs. A very real impediment is the residency requirement for voters. Our eligibility requirement states that a voter must, and I quote, “...at least 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the day on which the person votes, been a resident of the electoral district.” In municipal elections, that electoral district is not the Territory but the community. All Canadian provinces only require six months residency in the province, many with no residency restriction in the community at all. Ontario has absolutely no residency requirement except that a voter has to be a resident in the community on the day on which they vote.
Our 12-month requirement eliminates many residents on voting in municipal elections. And we are a fairly transient population. People move into the Territory on a regular basis and people frequently move from community to community within the Territory. Much more interest would be generated in our elections if the residency requirement was shortened. I suggest six months. That residency should apply to the Territory, not the community. If we must keep a 12-month residency requirement, make it apply to the Territory with a six-month community residency requirement. We will attract more voters, many of them young, and we will get greater interest in local politics, not just at election time but all year long.
Amendments to the Local Authorities Elections Act were contemplated earlier this year. MACA produced…
Ms. Bisaro, your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Thank you to my colleagues. Amendments to the Local Authorities Elections Act were contemplated earlier this year. MACA produced a discussion paper and held consultations. I hope that the residency requirement was addressed through that process. I look forward to seeing the results. I will have questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs later on. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its Report on the Review of the Human Rights Commission 2007-2008 Annual Report and commends it to the House.
The Standing Committee on Government Operations reviewed the 2007-2008 Report of the Human Rights Commission. The committee would like to thank Mary Pat Short, chair of the Human Rights Commission, and Ms. Therese Boullard, director of human rights, for their appearance before the committee.
The 2007-2008 Annual Report was the fourth report on the Human Rights Commission since its establishment on July 1, 2004. There were no recommendations in the report.
The committee was pleased with the level of activity that occurred in 2007-2008. The Human Rights Commission hosted a national human rights conference in Yellowknife in June of 2007 with 150 delegates attending. Experts presented on aboriginal rights, duty to accommodate family obligations, drug and alcohol testing and other topics. In addition, the commission visited seven communities to give presentations and sponsored audio conferences on human rights in four communities.
The Human Rights Commission received 317 inquiries and 33 new complaints in 2007-2008. The most common type of alleged discrimination was disability.
The committee is very pleased with the commission’s efforts to provide education and awareness workshops on human rights and the NWT Human Rights Act. We look forward to seeing continued outreach to communities and encourage you to pursue opportunities to reach people throughout the NWT.
The committee commends the commission’s work and the achievements to date and looks forward to monitoring the continued advancement of human rights in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, that concludes the report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations on the Review of the Human Rights Commission 2007-2008 Annual Report.
