Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are addressed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I want to follow up on my Member’s statement and ask a few questions about the Official Languages Act and our languages boards and the lack of movement on making changes.
In the wake of the report in the 16th Assembly by the Committee on Government Operations into the Official Languages Act, in response to that report, at some point, the Minister promised to table an official languages strategy and I’d like to ask the Minister, first off, was that strategy ever tabled? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Honourable Minister, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Since 2009 the Standing Committee on Government Operations released a final report on the Review of the Official Languages of the Northwest Territories. There have been several meetings since then with key stakeholders, such as FFTs, Aboriginal language groups and even as far as reaching out to both the Revitalization and Official Languages boards, talking about the amalgamation. Those are discussions that we will be having. This year I will be meeting with the board, seeking their input about the amalgamation prospects.
This has been a long time in the making. We made a lot of changes. This is a working document that we are currently working with the Aboriginal groups, and we’ll continue to do so. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thanks to the Minister. I understand that there’s been lots of talk; there’s been lots of getting together. However, there’s been no change. I asked the Minister about what he called an official languages strategy that he mentioned he was going to table in this House.
I again ask the Minister, does that strategy exist and has it ever been tabled? Thank you.
When it comes to Aboriginal languages, this is an area that’s obviously dear to my heart. I speak the language. I speak fluently in my language. I feel that we need to do more in this area.
When it comes to the Official Languages Act for the Northwest Territories, we have to deal with Aboriginal language groups. Sometimes it can be a very complex situation where Aboriginal language… There is a five-year strategic plan that’s been developed by Aboriginal language and we have to work with that. I am of the view that we need to have an integrated approach, coordinated approach with Aboriginal groups, and that’s what is happening now.
We’ve made changes to our contribution. We’ve increased our funding to $3.4 million to Aboriginal languages groups so they can hire their own coordinator and also deal with the language nests at the community level. So, we are making substantial changes along the way. This is a strategy that we need to work with all Aboriginal language groups. Mahsi.
I have to assume that there is no strategy; the Minister has not referenced it at all. I appreciate the work that Education, Culture and Employment has done in regards to languages, and I also, like the Minister, think Aboriginal languages and the preservation and advancement of Aboriginal languages is extremely important, and we are starting to work in that direction. But the Official Languages Act is a law, a piece of legislation, and the regulations that follow it require representation on our languages boards. It specifically asks for specific representation.
I’d like to ask the Minister, knowing that these recommendations go back more than five years now, why has the Minister allowed these boards to continue to operate in contradiction to our law? Thank you.
These two boards exist so they can provide advice to the Minister responsible for Official Languages – in that case the Minister responsible is myself – and seeking their advice throughout the Northwest Territories. Due to the fact we’ve devolved various changes to our overall official languages, one of them is the Francophone Language Secretariat, the Aboriginal Languages Secretariat is another one, and we’ve increased our contribution agreements to the Aboriginal governments. Those are changes based on their recommendation.
As I stated earlier, the next meeting of the boards will be at the end of this month, and I’m looking forward to the discussion of amalgamating the two boards into one. This work has been ongoing for quite some time now, based on the feedback that we received from the general public and Aboriginal language groups, and we’re moving forward on that. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I have to say it’s a little late. It’s been five years since that recommendation was made by the standing committee in the 16th. I appreciate these changes that are happening, but if the Minister wants the boards to operate the way they are right now, he needs to have brought forward legislative change.
Why has the Minister waited this long? He’s presumably going to do something next week, but why has he waited and not brought forward a legislative proposal or suggestions for legislative change? Thank you.
We will be having a meeting with the board at the end of this month to seek their input, and then we’ll move forward on that. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to use the occasion to once again return to the cost of living under the context of power bills, and I’m going to ask questions to the NWT Power Corp Minister.
Let’s start off by examining the cost of power and its distribution here in the Northwest Territories. I’d like to ask the Minister, would he be able to speak to the rates of return to Northland Utilities and the NWT Power Corp in both the thermal, non-thermal and the hydro zones here? If he could do that breakdown on the cost that Northerners are paying to get their power. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll get that information and provide it to the Member. Thank you.
That’s okay. I have it here, so the Minister doesn’t have to do it. Rate of return for Northland Utilities is just over 9 percent; rate of return for the thermal zone is zero percent through the NWT Power Corp; and rate of return on the NWT Power Corp in a non-thermal zone is 8.5 percent.
I’m going to ask the Minister of the NWT Power Corporation, noting that we can adjust rates of return on our equity that go back to the Power Corp, what type of influence, power stabilization is the NWT Power Corp Minister doing to ensure that zones like the Yellowknife region and the hydro zones below the South Slave are getting fair value for their money? This government can socially engineer power rates in other jurisdictions, why aren’t we working across the Territories to stabilize all costs? Thank you.
We did a rate restructuring a number of years ago. We have the thermal zone and the hydro zone. The rates for the thermal zone are pegged to the Yellowknife rate. In the hydro zone the cost of business is done and the rates set through the Public Utilities Board.
I appreciate the Member’s question. We are looking at how we are structured as a system. We are looking at generation issues that we know we need to address that would help bring down the cost of living as it relates to the price of energy. We are looking at all those major areas as we look to the fundamental government priority of lowering the cost of living. Thank you.
I’ll allow the Minister to correct me if I’m incorrect on this point, which is I believe power to the golden gates of Yellowknife is delivered at about 18 cents a kilowatt and I think that there’s a big margin between that and the end user who picks up their power bill monthly.
Can the Minister confirm what the power rate is delivered to the Jackfish plant that comes available for Northland Utilities to pick it up for its distribution cost, and how we can help narrow that gap so Northerners can afford a power increase, especially knowing that in a couple short days we’ll be receiving another 6.2 cent increase on top of the high power rates we’re already receiving? Thank you.
The rate of power in Yellowknife is governed by the fact that, one of the reasons is that power is generated by the Power Corporation and it is distributed by Northland Utilities, and that rate is set through the Public Utilities Board. As we look to the future, we look at that issue; we look at the issue of the cost of power, the fact that we’ve had a number of incidents here in Yellowknife with low water, turbine failure on the Snare system that have all driven up the cost of business and generating power in Yellowknife. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The next question is: What are we doing to analyze our power distribution to ensure that not only our structure is most efficient but our equipment is most efficient? When I refer to the equipment, often I hear people talk about when the new meters came in, their power bills all jumped. I’m wondering what type of analysis the NWT Power Corp has done on that type of trend. It’s not that I’ve heard this from one person; I’ve heard this from several people who said that when the new infrastructure rolled in, their power bills jumped.
Has the NWT Power Corp done any analysis on these types of trends, because Northerners can’t afford their power bills and if we have meters that cause the prices to jump it makes the cost of living unbearable here in the North.
The issue of meters is a critical one. Every jurisdiction has to meter. You can’t manage what you can’t count, and you can’t bill what you can’t count. The issue of are they accurate, from everything I’ve seen and heard there is not an issue with faulty meters. I will, in fact, raise the issue and will follow up with the Power Corp and see if there have been concerns raised in that area and what redress was taken.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The 2014-15 Marketing Plan noted the challenges of dealing with unforeseen events including natural disasters. My question is to the Minister of ITI.
How does NWT Tourism plan to build tourism in the Deh Cho following last year’s destructive fire season?
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have some fantastic facilities in the Deh Cho and in the Member’s riding. We continue to support those efforts. I know the campground in Fort Providence was highlighted during last summer’s fire season and the bad fire that we had around Fort Providence and the service that the park provided. We have to continue to support the operators and the infrastructure that we have on the ground in the Member’s riding.
The Marketing Plan notes that each region is budgeted to receive $50,000 for advertising initiatives of their choice working with the NWT Tourism marketing director to align with the territorial strategy.
What other NWT tourism plans and strategies support region-directed growth in tourism?
We have our Aboriginal Tourism Marketing Strategy that would certainly look to support efforts in the Member’s riding. We also have Tourism 2020, a new plan that we’ve come up with that is going to earmark money for tourism around the Northwest Territories. We’ve recently received money from CanNor. We also will be looking for additional federal funding as we move forward. Through the EOS, we’re also able to provide more money for tourism, and I think our overall spend on tourism now is near $10 million per year.
How will the NWT components of the Deh Cho Travel Connection be promoted and emphasized?
I didn’t hear the Member’s question. If he could repeat the question, that would be great.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Could you repeat your question, Mr. Nadli?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. How will the NWT components of the Deh Cho Travel Connection be promoted and emphasized?
My ears are a little bit plugged. I’m not feeling the best, but I thank the Member for repeating the question.
We will continue to work with the region through the Fort Simpson office and also in Hay River on opportunities to promote the Deh Cho Connection. I know MLA Mr. Menicoche has talked about this in efforts to support Highway No. 7 and the tourism route that is the Deh Cho Connection. It is a wonderful opportunity for people to not go back the same way and do a loop through the Northwest Territories. It’s important that it is marketed and it is promoted, and through NWT Tourism that happens, as well, through their regional offices.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has stated that there will be continued work with the operators. Aside from that, are there any plans within the 2015-16 season to see if campgrounds and tourism facilities within my riding would be enhanced?
I don’t have the capital plan in front of me for this coming year but I believe there is some additional funding for facilities in the Member’s riding, and I can get him that information.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today in my Member’s statement I made reference to an NWT Housing Corporation Housing Choices funding program eligibility criteria. It seems that there are two sets of rules pertaining to this CARE funding program which deserve some scrutiny. Apparently if you live in a non-market community and you owe less than $5,000 in land lease or property tax arrears, you still qualify for up to $90,000 in forgivable loans. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.
Can the Minister explain to the House how is it you can owe money for land lease and property tax arrears and still qualify for a forgivable loan in this day and age? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Minister of Housing, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This Assembly and the previous Assembly recognize the challenges the small communities are facing in trying to access some of the programs that we offer. There was a time when if you had any land tax owing at all, you weren’t able to qualify for any of the programs in the small communities. We heard from Members; we addressed that; and we allowed them to carry some taxation.
In the taxation area, part of the problem that we face is because it’s a tax-based community they’re able to do tax sales. So if somebody were to lose their home based on a tax sale, then the Housing Corporation would be out that investment that we made into the property. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the Minister’s reply. My next question might need a little bit more clarification from what he’s just indicated here. Clearly, this CARE policy segregates both market and non-market residents with two separate rules and criteria.
Can the Minister inform the House, what is the rationale for having those two sets of rules? Thank you.
I just said that we recognize some of the challenges that are faced in the small communities. We try to tailor many of our programs to get as many people into the programs as we can. In some of the larger jurisdictions, especially the market communities, they have easier access to bank financing and resale value of their units, a type of luxury that we don’t have in many of the smaller communities. So, that is the rationale for this and we believe it’s one that’s working fairly well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the Minister clarifying that. It is a bit confusing, especially when you have a whole suite of programs out there.
Nothing is mentioned on the website for the NWT Housing Corporation about having a repayment plan for arrears in place prior to further funding. Therefore, can the Minister elaborate, does the NWT Housing Corporation have any terms or conditions or prerequisites that must be in place prior to seeking any forgivable loans or other funding? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I believe the Member is referring to the smaller communities, repayment plan for the smaller communities, or all communities in general. Maybe if I could just ask the Member to clarify which part of the market he’s speaking to, then I will respond accordingly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess that’s one way of doing it. My question was for all communities. Again, when we’re dealing with this, I want to make sure that the department had a plan in place for looking at repayment for any member of our Housing Corporation before we’re going to be providing further funding. Again, if I may add, Mr. Speaker, with your indulgence, is this constitutionally sound the way we have it set up? Thank you.
As far as the repayment plan goes, that’s something that the land owners would have to work out, I think, in some of the smaller communities with Finance, because I believe it’s through Finance that it’s administered. In some of the larger communities it’s through the community government.
As far as the second part goes, I’m not going to attempt to answer that because I’m really not sure. We have a whole suite of programs that have different rules for market and non-market communities, zone A, B and C. We have different criteria for a lot of different areas across the NWT. We try to tailor it so folks in those communities are able to take advantage of a lot of the programs that we run. I’m just going to keep going, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
