Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just have a couple questions for the Minister of Transportation. As I mentioned, we have purchased a bridge in Aklavik that’s now sitting in Inuvik awaiting enough ice to transport to Aklavik. But in order to have this bridge in place, we do need funds.
I’d like to ask the Minister, will the Minister work with the community to ensure we have enough to have this bridge in place by the end of this season?
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we will be working with the community to install the bridge. The bridge is in Inuvik, as the Member indicated. There are also piles that have to be ordered and installed in order to place the bridge on, and that’s also going to be happening on this winter road.
We’re not talking about a lot of money here. It’s just a couple hundred thousand. It’s not $200 million like the Deh Cho Bridge. It’s only a couple hundred thousand. I look forward to this project being completed, and I will be willing to work with the Minister on this.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. That’s more of a comment. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to know that there has been some recent work looking at the amendments to our current Public Airports Act to harmonize it with other acts. Another area which has been grey for some time is the clarity and the authority around the disposal of assets on airport land that has plagued the Department of Transportation for many years. Finally, the issue of Yellowknife Airport governance has been mulled over many times in the past 20 years, yet it appears we are no further ahead in trying to maximize our economic benefits for Northerners.
My question today for the Minister of Transportation: Can the Minister give us a brief update as to what might be in store with the upcoming changes to the Public Airports Act and when can we expect to see it be brought before the House?
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Transportation is proposing amendments to the Public Airports Act to make the act more efficient and effective. We are finalizing a legislative proposal to amend the act and we’re hoping that a review for that will be before committee within the next month or so. Early 2015 is our schedule. We are looking at things like harmonization with the Motor Vehicles Act, giving people at the airport the same authority that lie within the Motor Vehicles Act. We’re looking to extend leases at the airport. There are a few things that are laid out in the legislative proposal, like I indicated, that we would be discussing with committee soon.
What we’ve heard from the Minister today is very encouraging, but the disposal of assets on airport lands is about as confusing as it comes. There are blurred lines of confusion on the role of the department and that of its Minister.
That said, can the Minister share with Members what changes may be forthcoming that could clarify the level of authority and responsibility of both the department and the Minister with respect to such asset disposal?
I suppose there would be two different categories of assets. Assets that are left by a lessee on the property site, the disposal of those assets is laid out in the lease how the disposal of assets is determined. If assets are left behind, it’s laid out in the lease so that it falls under that responsibility. The disposal of assets that are owned by the government and how we dispose of that, we go through the regular process of providing the asset to Public Works for disposal and Public Works will determine if no other government department would be using that asset or need that asset, then it would go to the next process of going through the disposition of that asset.
Historically, lease arrangements and the length of terms of airport lands have been nothing short of a dog’s breakfast in design. Can the Minister indicate to the House what is his department prepared to do to encourage tenant growth and meet the growing needs of current leaseholders on all our airport lands?
Within that review of the Public Airports Act, we’re extending the leases to a maximum of 30 years. That gives them a longer period, so something more definite. We also lay out in the lease that there would always be a market value for the lease. So every five years we do a market assessment on the lease and then the individuals are advised. If there is to be an increase on the lease payment, then the lessee is advised eight months in advance of any increases. We’re hoping that this will build more certainty for the individuals that are leasing at the airport.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department has attempted numerous times to investigate opportunities to improve management efficiencies at the Yellowknife Airport. However, during this administration there have been no real investment opportunities pursued, resulting in limited impact on the economic benefits for Yellowknife and Northerners.
Can the Minister inform the House how much emphasis the Department of Transportation is placing on making governance at the Yellowknife Airport Authority a priority?
The Department of Transportation has identified the Yellowknife governance as a project that we should be reviewing. This review of the governance at the Yellowknife Airport is going to be done under the Refocusing Government Initiative by this government. We’re going to look at the management options at the airport so that we’ll review all the options. The Department of Transportation is working with Finance to look at these. We’ve also hired a consultant to specifically look at all of these for consideration, probably by the next government.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Premier. This government needs to show stronger leadership in taxing the high costs of basic goods. In my Member’s statement I highlighted the Nutrition North Program.
Has the Premier and his Cabinet reviewed the findings of the Auditor General’s report and public health experts who have clearly demonstrated deficiencies in the Nutrition North Program? As an obvious next step, is this government putting pressure on the federal government to fix fundamental problems with Nutrition North or even bringing the old Food Mail back? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I myself have not specifically reviewed the audit, but I am aware of some of the findings and I think that the fact that the Government of Canada has seen fit to put more money into the program gives me some comfort that they will be able to benefit those that are most in need. Thank you.
At the territorial level, what specific actions does this government take to track, report, compare and offset the costs of basic goods in remote Northwest Territories communities? Communities such as Tuktoyaktuk, Deline. Sometimes our communities that are located off the road system have to fly their goods in.
Is this government keeping track of how goods are distributed in those communities? Mahsi.
As a government we subsidize the cost of living in the Northwest Territories to the tune of approximately $200 million annually and the food subsidy program goes directly to food retailers in 11 communities, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Ulukhaktok, Tuktoyaktuk, Aklavik, Norman Wells, Fort Good Hope, Tulita, Deline, Colville Lake and Trout Lake and a partial subsidy goes to Whati, Lutselk’e and Gameti. Our government provides approximately $1 million towards nutritional education programs. Thank you.
I’d like to thank the Premier for basically stating that this government is taking this matter very seriously and doing all it can to assist communities and Northerners with the high cost of living.
Several MLAs in Nunavut have made damning statements against Nutrition North. In places like Gjoa Haven, two small bags of groceries cost residents well over $100.
What is this government doing to collaborate with our territorial neighbours in Nunavut to tackle food insecurity across the entire North? Mahsi.
Thank you. As three northern neighbours, we get together on a regular basis, and as a matter of fact, we just met recently in Ottawa as the Northern Forum. Obviously, the cost of living is a big topic for all three territories. We’ve worked together to try to find ways to reduce the cost of living and we’ve looked at approaching the federal government to increase the Northern Resident Tax Deduction and what we’ve found is it wouldn’t benefit the lower income levels. It would benefit primarily the middle class and middle-income earners. So we are endeavoring to work together.
When I discussed this with the Prime Minister, he felt that we should find a way to address this problem. So I think together, if we put our innovation hats on, I think that we can identify some solutions that we can take forward and seek support at the highest level. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s encouraging that the three northern regions, the NWT, Yukon and Nunavut, are working together to try to tackle and meet the needs of our Northerners in terms of trying to curb the high cost of living.
In the interim, as the three governments are trying to work together, would the Premier agree to bring back the old Food Mail Program? Mahsi.
We’re not in the business of taking over programs that are legitimately with the federal government. I think the fact we’ve always said the best way to show our Arctic sovereignty in the Northwest Territories is to have healthy, sustainable communities and the best way to do that is to have food that’s available and to have food security. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have four documents to table today. The first is a letter from Alternatives North to Minister Ramsay and calls to our broader representation or in-depth representation on the Mineral Advisory Board, and a similar letter from Ecology North. The first is dated 4th of February and the second is dated 6th of February.
I’d also like to table, and according to my commitments to the Premier, the science behind the new knowledge that we need to leave most of our fossil fuels in the ground. The first is in Nature, published on the 8th of January 2015, entitled “The geographical distribution of fossil fuels unused when limiting global warming to 2 degrees C,” wherein it says though we show that development of resources in the Arctic and any increase in unconventional oil production are incommensurate with efforts to limit average global warming to 2 degrees C.
The second one is the Energy Policy…(inaudible)…Journal, No. 64, published in 2014 and entitled “Un-burnable oil: An examination of oil resource utilisation in a decarbonised energy system.” Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Thursday, February 12, 2015, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on Thursday, February 12, 2015, it shall be adjourned until Monday, February 16, 2015;
And further, that any time prior to February 16, 2015, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 44, An Act to Amend the Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill includes amendments to the Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act that would require the Minister to:
develop a territorial plan for health and social services;
authorize the Minister to establish regional councils to provide advice with respect to health services and social services;
authorize the Minister to establish a territorial health and social services authority to replace a number of boards of management;
address matters relating to the transition of responsibility from boards of management to the territorial health and social services authority;
require investigations into harmful events experienced by patients and clients receiving health and social services;
set out powers and duties of inspectors and investigators;
make consequential amendments to a number of other acts; and
make other related amendments to update the act.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I support the overall act, but I know Hay River does have some concerns about the public sector, our hospital authority, that’s not in the public sector. I guess I would like to put that on record that there is some concern here. We do support some of the activities and changes here, but we do have some concerns going forward how we implement this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to go on record as supporting the principle of the bill and I appreciate that the Minister has been working hard to consult with the public. However, I have had some feedback that indicates some Aboriginal governments are still a little bit surprised at how rapidly this is advancing. I know the Minister has been meeting with those governments and I think that’s being resolved, but I did want to mention there was some serious concern that hadn’t been resolved. I look forward to, if we give second reading today, that we enter into a process where much of that concern can be fully vetted and dealt with by the Minister and committee. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Yakeleya.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister and I have had a tour of the Sahtu on this bill, and with the support we had from the Sahtu communities and leadership, we are actually looking forward to seeing this bill come to fruition so that we know we can do some things that are different and beneficial. Right now we are experiencing some difficulties with the health system because of the way our system is set up in the legislation. The Sahtu is very supportive, all the communities that met with the Minister, and so I will be fully supporting this bill.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. To the principle of the bill.
Question.
