As far as ITI is considered, it’s long been discussed at the ITI offices with the economic development officer and the various positions in there. It should be located in downtown Hay River anyway, not out five miles south of town on a river lot.
There are some advantages to ENR being located there, with the helicopter pad and so on, but ITI can easily be moved downtown and co-located with other ITI offices that are downtown. I know the Minister can’t answer for ITI, but has any discussion taken place with these other departments about moving? Thank you.
I’ve been to Hay River many times, but I’m sure the Member knows all the ins and outs of these areas much better than I.
The latest information that we have is the Site Selection Committee…We have a committee that works to look at all the advantages and disadvantages of the sites. They are recommending the particular site the Member has preference to. I am sure there are other parties in discussing that, so I will work on that further and keep the Members advised. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the beauty of that site, too, is the government already owns it. It is extremely prime real estate and the Government of Northwest Territories already owns that place. There is very little footprint from any buildings on that property already, so it seems like it would be fairly straightforward. Does the Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Speaker, have to get agreement from the current government departments that are occupying that site in order to move forward on that site? Thank you.
In planning a health facility, the Health department…My department’s role is looking at the programming, the functioning and the flow and that sort of thing. Once it gets into the planning study, DPW takes over, but obviously we are talking about government departments working together. Be mindful of the fact that whenever we are talking about land, there are all kinds of titles, descriptions and complexities that could arise. So I will undertake to get back to the Member upon consultation with the DPW Minister and the ITI Minister and looking at the ownership and site and such. So we will work closely together with the Members on the other side and the community on this project. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
QUESTION 134-16(4):
REVIEW OF THE NWT POWER CORPORATION
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier and it’s with regard to the NTPC review report. The last update I recall is there had been a delay from August to September, but we are now going into November. I am wondering when will we see the report. There is a lot of fundamental issues to be dealt with that will take a lot of effort, so what date can we expect this report?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the group undertaking the review asked for an extension on the work they’re doing on data collection granted that. We expect a copy of the draft very shortly. I don’t have an actual yet, but I am expecting it soon and we can then get it into the hopper and system here. Thank you.
So that’s great. We will expect to see that soon. Does the Premier have a plan for a review of the report by committee? What is the process that he’s anticipating? Thank you.
As our process is laid out, I would take the report to the Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee, then to standing committee for further review of it and go from there. Thank you.
That’s good to know about. Given that the electricity review report, when it comes out, and the one on the ATCO proposal will all be relevant, will there be a stage planned where we take a comprehensive look at all these before we act on any one individual part and put all this together? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The reports and the rollout of the reports in coming back were all looked at in timing for exactly that reason; they are linked together. We are not going to make a decision without having all the pieces lined up, so that’s the intention, is to look at this all in a comprehensive approach. Thank you.
Thank you. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources in regards to a letter he received from the chief of the Inuvik Band Council, Mr. Herb Blake. It’s in regards to arsenic levels in Inuvik, and also it was sent to the Minister of Environment, Jim Prentice. Several properties that are owned in Inuvik by the Gwich’in Tribal Council and Gwich’in Development Corporation were tested for contamination, and high levels of arsenic were located on those pieces of property. Because of that, there is a question of liability and what you can do with those properties. Through those tests, they also revealed there are other properties in Inuvik, especially the location of the new Arctic Research site in which there was a public tender just released by Public Works and Services. It documents that arsenic levels are on this site and that people bidding on this contract should be aware of that.
I would like to ask the Minister of the Environment what is this government doing to identify the arsenic levels in Inuvik by way of testing, and also what are you doing to inform the Gwich’in Tribal Council and the band in Inuvik with regard to the properties they own in that community?
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the attempt to deal with what has been identified as naturally occurring incidents of arsenic in the soil, there has been a working group struck. There have been consultants brought in to examine the issue, to do the testing. There are meetings going on this month. Work has been done, things are being analyzed as we work towards getting enough information to determine what next steps should be in terms of remediation and other steps. Thank you.
Again, I would like to ask the Minister what is this government doing to include the aboriginal governments in that community, especially the First Nations government and the Gwich’in Tribal Council and the band in Inuvik? What role are they playing? Because, as I understand it, they are totally out of the picture and are not being consulted. Thank you.
My understanding is that all the affected stakeholders, property owners, were invited to sit on this stakeholders committee to oversee the work, to look at what the issues were and look at the work plan that was being laid out and agreed to. Thank you.
As we all know, the standards that are set by the Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment, they set the national standard for arsenic at 12 mg/kg. From the results that we are getting, it’s well past that in regards to Inuvik. So by exceeding these national standard numbers, what are the public health concerns relating to the possibility of cancer and other effects that we hear about arsenic? What is the health risk to the people in Inuvik?
This issue is being looked at. It has also been dealt with in Yellowknife, where the rates are 160 parts per million for residential and 340 parts per million for industrial, when they looked at areas like the old Con Mine and such. So I don’t think we should get ahead or predetermine the outcome of the work of the consultants and the stakeholder committee. I just want to reassure the people that this is being looked at. All the appropriate people are involved and we are looking forward to the results of that work. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The time for question period has expired; however, I will allow the Member a third supplementary. Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if the Minister can take it onto himself to call the president of the Gwich’in Tribal Council, Mr. Richard Nerysoo, and give him an update on where these things are at, because I met with Richard Nerysoo prior to coming back down to the House and he is the one that brought this issue to my attention and that they are being totally excluded from this process. Yet, Mr. Speaker, this government has a right to consult with First Nations under court cases in Canada and I would just like to impose on the Minister to take it onto himself to make that phone call to the president of the Gwich’in Tribal Council.
I understand on September 8th, Inuvik Mayor Derek Lindsay invited the Gwich’in Tribal Council and Nihtat Gwich’in Council to participate in the stakeholder committee. It doesn’t tell me whether they agreed to do that or not, but I will commit to make sure that there has been a proper flow of information on all the stakeholder groups. The aboriginal governments are fully privy to the work that’s underway. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Before we go any further, colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the gallery to a group of Aurora College students. They are all part of a group of Social Studies 130 and part of their class content is the study of Canadian government, so I guess they’re here to observe how we are operating. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents titled Green Light: Signalling the Department of Transportation’s Commitment to the Environment.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table two letters, one letter addressed to the Minister of Environment, Mr. Michael Miltenberger and Minister of Environment, Mr. Jim Prentice. It’s from the chief for Inuvik, Mr. Herbert Blake. The other letter is sent to Richard Nerysoo from the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs with regard to arsenic contamination.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 2, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2009-2010, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes forgiveness of debts owed to the government and public agencies. Thank you.
Bill 2 has had second reading.
---Carried
The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 3, Medical Profession Act, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill replaces the Medical Profession Act. It modernizes the processes for the registration and discipline of medical practitioners in the Northwest Territories. It makes consequential amendments to the Ophthalmic Medical Assistance Act and the Pharmacy Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Bill 3 has had second reading.
---Carried
Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 1-16(4), NWT Capital Estimates 2010-2011; Tabled Document 18-16(4), Supplementary Appropriation No. 2 (Operations Expenditures), 2009-2010; Tabled Document 19-16(4), Supplementary Appropriation No. 3 (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2009-2010; Committee Report 1-16(4), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Information and Privacy Commissioner’s 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 Annual Reports; and Committee Report 2-16(4), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Auditor General on Contracting for Goods and Services in the Northwest Territories, with Mr. Krutko in the chair.
I call Committee of the Whole to order. We have several items in Committee of the Whole. We have Tabled Document 1-16(4), NWT Capital Estimates 2010-2011; Tabled Document 18-16(4), Supplementary Appropriation No. 2 (Operations Expenditures), 2009-2010; Tabled Document 19-16(4), Supplementary Appropriation No. 3 (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2009-2010; Committee Report 1-16(4), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Information and Privacy Commissioner’s 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 Annual Reports; and Committee Report 2-16(4), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Auditor General on Contracting for Goods and Services in the Northwest Territories. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 1-16(4), NWT Capital Estimates 2010-2011, for the departments of Finance, Human Resources and Legislative Assembly.
Agreed?
Agreed.
Okay. With that, we’ll take a short break and begin with the Department of Finance.
---SHORT RECESS
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. Prior to the break, we agreed we will begin with the Department of Finance, HR and then Legislative Assembly. So with that, I’d like to ask the Minister of Finance if he would like to bring in any witnesses. Mr. Miltenberger.
Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Does committee agree that he brings in his witnesses?
Agreed.
