Masi. Final supplementary. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm assuming we're beyond that, where we have gone to the federal government, the federal government has approved one bundle. This is a matter for holding out the second bundle. I think I need to know, and I think the people need to know, when. If it's approved, then if it's going to approval, what is the anticipated time that we can approve it? It's very important that people in construction have things like bridges. I know that there's two bridges that go between Hay River and Fort Resolution that need to be replaced. There's going to be some heavy hauling if the pellet plant goes through in Enterprise and that the deal with the Forest Management Agreement in Fort Resolution is complete, then those bridges have to be in good condition in order to do the haul. They're planning on doing that over several years. I just want to get a better indication than it's going to the Financial Management Board. I'd like to get some timeline, some sort of assurance that there will be some work this summer.
If the Financial Management Board approves bundle two, then the officials at the Department of Transportation will seek federal approval on bundle two from Infrastructure Canada. As far as the bridges go, they are also in bundle two's application, so the Member can be reassured that that is in there. We would then be in a position to return to the House for the May/June session to seek approval from the Legislative Assembly for the funding of bundle two.
Masi, Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Finance. Today the Minister of Finance in his update is asking us to consider a 10 per cent cut in the territorial budget in the order of $150 million. Yesterday, in the Opening Address, the government said they want people to see collaboration and collective decision-making aimed at addressing pressing challenges together, so with those two things in mind, I would like to ask the Minister of Finance what the plan is for consulting the public about the next budget.
Masi. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, given the timing of the elections and the need to get our budget through, for this particular year our plan is to proceed with working with committee and we're hoping that we get a lot of feedback from the public through the Members of this Assembly. We've heard from a number of people their views on the budget, but given the timing of the election and our need to get the budget through, it was not in our plan to do an actual public consultation this year. However, that may change in the future when we have a bit more time to develop our business plan and our budget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I don't think that hoping the public will give their input into the budget process is a very systematic response to the scale of change that the government is planning to make. Therefore, I would like to hear that the government is going to attempt some consultation on the budget in the next few weeks, whether that means visiting communities, having an online tool available, or putting ads in the paper, that there is a mechanism for people to respond to the big changes that are coming their way.
We're not hoping the public responds; speaking from past experience, we do know that the public is fairly plugged in and they do respond to a lot of the issues that we raise in this House. I take the Member's point, though. I'll work with the department to see if there's an online tool that they could use as far as public consultation goes. To actually go out and visit the communities at this late stage of the game and the amount of money that it may cost, may not bring much value at this point. However, as I said before, we would consider doing something when we're developing the 2017/2018 budget.
Thank you for that commitment. I urge you to make good your promises for collaboration and open government by consulting people in whatever manner is feasible within the time that is available. This is a very significant change in direction for the NWT and I think that people will want to have their say on it. Further to your fiscal statement today, as you know, government jobs are very valuable jobs, especially in the small communities. I'm wondering whether you have done any analysis of the impact of the loss of jobs at the local level and that you'd be able to share with us?
We are working on the options now, and for me to say anything in here about those options would pre-empt our consultation with committee. We are going to have our meetings with committee and then through the business planning process, committee will have an opportunity for feedback to the government before we develop our main estimates for the May/June session. Committee will have an opportunity to see what some of the plans are for the upcoming budget. Then, during the business planning or the budget process, we have a number of different options in place as far as letting everyone know if they're affected or not.
Masi. Oral questions. Final short supplementary. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm looking for a commitment from the Minister of Finance to follow evidence-based decision making in developing his budget. That would mean not only looking at the fiscal benefits of investing in infrastructure, but also in the potential problems of cuts, not only to the people who are working now, but to the possibility that they may also leave the territory and take their share of the Territorial Formula Financing funding with them. My question to the Minister is: Will he commit to evidence-based decision-making in this budgetary process?
The evidence points to the fact that our expenditures are rising a lot quicker than with our revenues, and with our limited base, we would put a terrible burden on those that are paying taxes. It could work both ways. We may have folks leaving if they're paying too many taxes or we could have folks actually come into the territories if we provide opportunity and a fairly steady, predictable tax rate. Again, as I said before, we will commit to working with committee. We have committed to working with committee in reviewing our budget and our options, and I need to point out that Newfoundland case has been mentioned in this House a number of times already. They're looking at reducing approximately 30 per cent of their budget, and they're consulting. I think it's a three-year process, and they're also consulting about a complete reorganization of their government. We're not quite there yet. Our scale, I think ours is about 8.5 per cent of our budget, so we need to be fiscally responsible and we will continue to do that in conjunction with committee members and Members of this Assembly.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As mentioned in my Member’s statement, I'm addressing my question to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on the daycare facility in Norman Wells and the surrounding communities as well. My first question is: what level of funding is being committed to the daycare home and the daycare facilities in the Sahtu communities?
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department is funding, I believe, the Norman Wells Land Corporation, and they're providing programs in Norman Wells. We have had proposals from day homes. However, none of the day homes have met the standards that we can supply funding for. But the Norman Wells Land Corporation is getting funding and we are open and consulting with the community to try to open up the daycare in Norman Wells again and provided them with the options for funding, for rent, mortgage, food, all those types of expenses. We'd like to continue to work with the community and the residents of Norman Wells to seek options to open up the daycare in the community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We have talked a number of times here on the physical limitations of our government, and currently, we are going into the closure of a fiscal year and entering into a new one. Would the Minister commit to supporting a funding model for the Norman Wells facilities? As said, it's a beautiful building here donated by the private sector, this government, and the Town of Norman Wells. It'll be a waste to see that facility going through another year of not providing services.
As I mentioned earlier, in 2015 we had consultants go into the community, meet with community members, and give them the options in terms of how to start up a licensed daycare, the funding that is available to the community. Unfortunately, community members after the consultations decided not to go ahead with the daycare. However, as the Member asked, there is start-up funding as well as program contributions should the community want to move ahead with the project that could total in the amount of, through our programs within the Department of Education, Culture, and Employment, about $89,000 for start-up in program contribution. So, as I mentioned, I would invite the community members to continue to look at opening the daycare facility.
On the comments and the information provided, we did have a new administration system or administration personnel in the Town of Norman Wells, so I look forward in working with the Minister's department and the new staff of the Town of Norman Wells to explore the re-opening of the facility there with the contributions as said.
It is unfortunate that the daycare centre did close in 2012. We do recognize that early childhood development is very important throughout the Northwest Territories, hence the Right From the Start Action Plan that we're developing, but I will commit that the department will work with the new administration to look at the possibility of opening the daycare again in Norman Wells.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member’s statement, I have questions for the Minister of Transportation. I'd like to ask the Minister: Will the Minister ensure the department will provide adequate funds to complete the final stage of our Willow River Bridge in Aklavik? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Transportation has advised the Hamlet of Aklavik that the bridge project has exceeded the funding capacity of the Community Access Program. It has been recommended that the Hamlet of Aklavik look into other alternatives of funding for this project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I realize the funds have run out for the Community Access Program for this year, but in the next budget, which starts in April, will the Minister assure the community that funds will be available through the Community Access Program to complete this project?
The Community Access Program is not included in the appropriation funds for the first part of this fiscal year because there's no eligible expenses for applicants for work in this period of time. We'll have to talk about it in business planning.
I realize the Minister is new to this position and he doesn't realize that to do the work that's needed has to be done with three weeks in April, that's in our new budget. Otherwise, it'll have to wait until next February or March to even start this work, which holds this project up by at least a year. That's just not going to work for the community. That's holding this project back. That's even longer the community will have to wait to progress with, whether it’s tourism or... But I'd like to ask the Minister, will the Minister ensure that, through the appropriation, that the Community Access Program is in there, because a lot of these communities depend on these programs.
We have to submit the appropriations to the business plan for the upcoming fiscal year, and we're going to have those timely discussions through business planning.
I can't stress it enough. All three of my communities depend on this Community Access Program, and I just want to emphasize the importance of this program in our small communities. It's more of a comment, but I sure hope that Cabinet could make those adjustments.
I'll take that as a comment. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my statement today about Ecole Boreale and the ministerial directive, I will be directing my questions to the honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Will the Minister commit to conducting review in good faith of the ministerial directive related to the enrolment of students in French first-language language education programs before the end of this school year? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I begin, I'd just like to thank all the parents and families who have written letters to the department in regards to concerns with the French first language education programs and enrolment of students. The ministerial directive has been in place since 2008, and I have communicated with the Commission scolaire that I have directed the department to do a review and look to see if any changes should be considered. Hopefully those will be done before the next school year begins. Thank you.
That's good to hear that a review is underway. I'd like to know what impediments or roadblocks that the government perceives stand in the way of loosening these strict admission requirements that are stopping the GNWT from bringing its admissions policy more in line with the rest of the country.
As the Member had mentioned in his opening remarks around the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as the government, we need to ensure that we meet our obligations under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms when providing French first-language education programs throughout the Northwest Territories, as well as having facilities open for all children. Those are some of the roadblocks that we're seeing that might prevent this, but we are looking at other jurisdictions, seeing what they're doing that can help loosen up some of these restrictions.
I'd just also like to ask, would the Minister commit to working in good faith with the Hay River District Education Authority (DEA) and the Commission scolaire to find a solution to the Ecole Boreale enrolment issue?
Yes, the department is committed to working with the Hay River DEA and the Commission scolaire. We did have a meeting earlier this year with the Commission scolaire, as well as we sent letters out to their staff. We will be sending letters out, as well, to the families that have sent letters to the department, and we do have a meeting set up with the Hay River DEA in the near future to discuss some of these concerns that are brought up from the community of Hay River.
Masi. Oral questions. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is all good news and I appreciate the Minister's response. Finally, I'd just like to ask the Minister, is it the department's working assumption that Ecole Boreale is viable in the long term as a French language school in Hay River? Thank you.
Yes, the department does consider that Ecole Boreale is viable in the long-term as a French language school. As mentioned, we do want to serve the francophone population in the community of Hay River. Earlier I talked about the review of the ministerial directive, which hopefully should address a lot of these issues. I do thank both Members from Hay River for bringing these concerns forward to the office and to the department.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the RCMP has recently stopped providing housing for its staff posted to Yellowknife. I also understand that when the Police Services Agreement was renewed for 20 years, a new Contract Management Committee was created for consultation on just these kinds of issues. Can the Minister of Justice confirm if the RCMP is pulled out of staff housing in Yellowknife and whether the GNWT was consulted in any way before it occurred? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Justice.
