Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm sure the Minister will find these correct once he looks into it, and Fort Smith, his home town, is probably the lowest. Does the Minister know how the Northwest Territories Power Corporation allocates its overhead and admin cost to each rate zone?
It is a rather complex method by which costs are arrived at, but there's a revenue-to-cost coverage ratio, as is called RCC, and that is of course different in each zone and I do confirm that Fort Smith area does have the lowest rates. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, we're currently subsidizing diesel communities in the thermal zones at the rate, the Yellowknife hydro rate, which as the Minister has confirmed is the highest rate. Why do we not use the lowest hydro rate, the Fort Smith rate, for these diesel subsidies, give a break to our smaller communities, and let them enjoy the benefits that the Minister enjoys back at home?
Mr. Speaker, the thermal zones, the smaller communities are already massively subsidized and we have found that that is the most appropriate way of dealing with the issue of supplying power to these small communities. If it was to be based on the Fort Smith rate, it would be even a larger subsidy required.
Mr. Speaker, certainly the cost of power is high and that's exactly what we're talking about, and earlier I was pleased to hear the Minister set a new direction for the board to address this issue. Why are there three hydro rates, Mr. Speaker, and why is Yellowknife being charged the most out of those three? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, at one point in the distant past, there was a very complex arrangement by which virtually every community had its own rate which led to great complexity and very, very lengthy hearings in front of the Public Utilities Board because each community had to go through the costs and so on. We thought that at the time, and I was on the board and so I had some input on this, that the fairest way was to move to the current rate that we now have. So there are different amounts paid by different communities. I would like, however, the Member opposite to recall that all taxpayers massively subsidized the Yellowknife area, the Snare in the two years that there was low water. I believe that was more than $40 million. So yes, we have helped the small communities, yes, Fort Smith does have the lowest rate, but Yellowknife has been considerably helped by subsidies also.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a few questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, over the last, I believe, year and a half, junior kindergarten has raised a lot of concerns either through the Aboriginal Head Start program, daycare programs throughout the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, I did ask the Minister this question last month during our business plans, but I'd like to ask them again. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister how will junior kindergarten affect the funding of the Aboriginal Head Start program? If it does, can the Minister explain it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Implementation of the Junior Kindergarten Program, as we're looking to implement in 2017-18, will have no impact on the funding for Aboriginal Head Start program. The Aboriginal Head Start program is a federally funded program. We also fund Aboriginal Head Start through our Early Childhood Programs. In 2015-16, we funded the programs to the total of 260,000 additional dollars on top of the federal funding that they get, and it's forecasted that we'll have $285,000 to the eight Aboriginal Head Start programs throughout the Northwest Territories. So from our standpoint as we're implementing it and just to ensure everyone and remind everyone that junior kindergarten is an optional program. So moving forward, junior kindergarten implementation will not affect the funding from the federal government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I realize this is a federal funding for the program, but would the Minister have any idea why the three workers that are in Fort McPherson, for example, have a three-month contract for Head Start? Is that just some of the guidelines that they follow? If the Minister could answer that, I'd appreciate it.
As I mentioned, Aboriginal Head Start is a federally funded program, so I think what we can do out of our department is reach out to our federal counterparts and see why it's only a three-month contract and can do that work on behalf of the Members to see why it's only a three-month program moving forward.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to that information. You know, as I mentioned, these three workers have recently all just got their certificates for Early Childhood and, you know, they're looking at hopefully a career and you know ongoing, you know, and to be cut short by this, we cannot allow this to happen, and I will just look forward to that information.
Masi. Okay, there's a comment. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I ask the questions on the Norman Wells reclamation to the Minister of ITI, and it includes a number of factors, and I wish not for the information to be relayed onto the two departments that are devolutionally responsible for land management, environmental resources, and so on. So if I can get some clarification on the questions that I asked? Number one is, everybody knows that Norman Wells has contributed a great wealth to the shareholders. The shareholders are the federal and the private shareholder, Imperial Oil, holding two-thirds and the feds holding one-third, and a significant amount of that contribution to the local, territorial, and federal economies have been produced by that particular location, and over the years of operation, we've seen a number of pre-devolution activities which contribute to the question.
Member for Sahtu, your question.
My question is that is the Minister of ITI willing to support an oversight committee to ensure that the property is cleaned and discussions are held for transfer of title? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member is well aware, Esso has filed an interim closure reclamation plan. This is early days for this stuff. It's just to get out there and get some input on how the field may be shut down and get input into it, but Esso is still operating and it will continue to operate for a number of years to come, and I don't see the need for us to be getting involved with this just yet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, a simple yes or no would have been appropriate so we can move on to creating some jobs for the reclamation, but, yes, I'm quite familiar with the activities in my area and the interim reclamation permit sought by the company. In taking a more proactive role in the responsibilities of devolution, I think we shouldn't sit back and wait. If we had –
Member, what is your second question, please?
My question is: are we going to get a yes or a no?
No.
Laughter
Okay. Well, would the Minister support, let's say, the other Department of Lands to initiate this operational oversight committee?
I can't speak for the Minister of Lands, so I suggest that the Member direct his question to the Minister of Lands on that.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
My last question. I'm surprised to see this government really not taking an active role in the responsibilities inherited on April 1, 2014. Let the listeners be judgmental of that come midterm review next year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. I'll take that as a comment. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we heard the Minister of HR talk about the regional recruitment plan and he talked about a significant majority of the program participants are priority candidates under the Affirmative Action. Can he actually give us the number of the actual Affirmative Action candidates, please? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Human Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I can.
Laughter
Of the 39 applications that we received, 24 of them are P1 candidates. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That's great to hear. Does the Minister have any priority two candidates in this of the 39, and the number, please?
Yes, we do. Of the 39, I said 24 were P1 candidates. Two are P2 candidates, and six have no priority.
Okay. I thank the Minister for his answer. When he talked about developing a communications plan or strategy, is there anything else the department is doing to fill these positions?
Mr. Speaker, well, communication plan is obviously very important, and, if there were folks out there that are interested in this particular type of training, as I said before in response to the questions from the Member from Tu NedheWiilideh, that, you know, if they approach the department, I'm sure that we can work with them to see if they fit into any of the programs that we offer; and, as far as anything else besides communication, our conversation right now is also a good way of getting the message out there; and, hopefully those that have an interest in the public service are listening in; and, if there's opportunities for them, I would certainly encourage them to take the government up on the opportunities and the training that we do offer.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi cho to the Minister for his answer. This is starting to feel like, unfortunately, summer students and that. Does the Minister know how many vacant positions are available for this program, and he talked about 15 as the recruitment number, but how many are actually available? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I don't know if this is anything like the Summer Student Program. I mean, we encourage the department through that program to try to take on as many summer students as they can, and that is the message that we will be passing on to the department before the next summer student season. As far as the number of vacant positions, I don't really know if there's a number of positions that are identified as regional recruitment positions. As I said before, I mean, we have 231 vacancies, and, as I said before, if there was any opportunities for some of these positions to be filled with those that want to go through the Regional Recruitment Program, then we'll obviously have a look at that. But, as far as a set number goes where there's a quota, say we need 50, I don't think that number exists, but we'll continue to work with those that want to try and access the training that's offered by the government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled "27th Annual Report 20152016 Victims Assistance Committee of the Northwest Territories."
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled "Northwest Territories Liquor Licensing Board 62nd Annual Report 20152016" and the "Northwest Territories Liquor Commission 62nd Annual Report 20152016." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Member for Frame Lake.
