I appreciate the offer of the briefing and I will talk to my colleagues about how to make that operational. I think the thing is that the ways things exist now is that we're kind of left out of the picture except for the one Member on this side who attends those meetings on our behalf that we don’t have an active say in what topics are discussed and what positions are taken, and I believe that we should have a role in that because what the NWT looks like in the future is of concern to all of us. So my question again is whether the Minister in addition to offering a briefing can consider other ways to involve Regular MLAs in shaping the future relationships with Aboriginal and regional organizations?
I'm quite prepared to raise it with the Aboriginal government leaders, and in the past the Aboriginal governments have offered to come and meet with the committees and that offer was never accepted, but we certainly can raise it again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd just like to follow-up with the Minister of MACA on some of the comments and their answers this afternoon. Mr. Speaker, the Minister spoke about having a face-to-face with Sport North Federation. Can the Minister please provide a brief summary on how that meeting went and the next steps moving forward? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, a meeting was held with Sport North probably, and I may be wrong, was probably about two weeks ago, although my dates might be a little bit foggy, it was just recently though. Sport North did come in because they were concerned about the process with the Sutcliffe Report. They were concerned about where they fit within the bigger pictures, in honestly. So we talked at quite length about the funding arrangements. We agreed at the end of the meeting that the funding would stay within the Government of the Northwest Territories, but that we would work with Sport North and all of the sport and recreation organizations to actually develop plans to see where they would go in the future, what they would present within their three-year plan that they'll be bringing forward to us for December, and how we see their role within the bigger sports, recreation and physical activity strategy for the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for her answer. It is my understanding that the territorial sport organizations passed a similar motion not in the springtime, in the fall time, that Sport North would still remain their funding agent; that the funding would go through them. Can the Minister please advise if she's received this motion and the status of it?
We did discuss the aspect of Sport North previous holding and delegating out the funding that was received through the lotteries. During our meeting though they did come to the understanding that wouldn't be possible, that the GNWT would be holding the funding. But we did talk about various ways that the territorial sports organizations could apply for funding. Sport North was saying some of their representatives, not all of them, did want to go utilize them to go through and to apply for the funding. So we were open to that and we're allowing that to happen.
I thank the Minister for her answer. So, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please provide us with what the department is doing with the other TSOs that are not utilizing this Sport North Federation to prepare for the short-term and long-term plans as we move forward? December, I believe that's the deadline. So I thank the Minister for that knowledge.
So the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has made a commitment to work with all of the territorial sports organizations to assist them in filling out the applications for the territorial funding. We do have a standardized application form, and any organization that needs assistance with filling out that form is being told that we are more than happy to work with them, to sit with them, and to help them figure out how to work through the form. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that answer. I'm very happy to hear that the department is willing to work with the territorial organizations so that they're successful in applying for the funding. So can the Minister please provide us an update of what the department is doing for the next six months or year in regards to this program, or maybe in the next little while? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Actually, the department is really busy at this point to try to make all the changes necessary to bring the lottery monies into the Government of the Northwest Territories. So basically, the next steps include the development of a legislative proposal that sets out the legislative changes required to implement the recommendations of the report, which will be followed by the introduction of amended legislation. After that, we're going to be looking at the development of the NWT physical recreation and sports sectoral policy to guide where we're going within the sports organization for the whole NWT. Based on that sectoral-wide policy, we'll be developing an NWT strategy to meet the policy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 7, an Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act. Bill 7, sponsored by the Minister of Transportation, sets out the legislative framework for a revolving fund to be established at the Yellowknife Airport. Revenues generated at the airport could best be used to fund its operations, maintenance and capital costs. Bill 7 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on June 27, 2016 and was referred to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment for review.
Today, I am advising this House of committee's wish to extend our review of Bill 7 and intention to report back to the House at the earliest possible opportunity during February 2017.
Mr. Speaker, we find ourselves in a situation where information crucial to understanding the changes enabled by the legislation was not available with sufficient time for the committee to complete its review with the original 120-day review period. This process typically includes internal committee review, stakeholder engagement, public hearings, and carefully considered responses before reporting to the House with recommendations on the bill.
Given the level of public interest and the nature of changes proposed for the airport, it is necessary to understand the operation and administration of the revolving fund and for the committee to conduct due diligence in its review of Bill 7. We believe that stakeholders and the travelling public deserve the opportunity to be heard as changes to the administration of the airport go forward.
Therefore, Mr. Speaker, in accordance with Rule 75(1)(c) of the Rules of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, I move, and seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that the review period for Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act, be extended for a further 120 days. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Member, the seconder is not in the House at this point.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, and seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. O'Reilly, that the review period for Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act, be extended for a further 120 days. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Motion is on the floor. Motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Yellowknife North. To the motion.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have opening comments, I may later have closing comments. Thank you.
To the motion. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Establishing a revolving fund for the Yellowknife Airport is a critical step in the NWT's plans for improving how the airport is funded and managed. The Yellowknife Airport could be making money for itself if we ran it more like a business. That money could be put towards improvements in all kinds of areas. We're talking like things like parking, shorter security lines, more businesses in the terminal and in the holding area. With the way we're running the airport right now, Mr. Speaker, it's costing the government $4 million a year, and we still can't make these improvements.
Establishing a Yellowknife Airport Revolving Fund and running it more like a business would let the airport keep the revenue it collects and spend it directly on the operations and on capital improvements. Having the Yellowknife Airport fund itself through a revolving fund would also free up $4 million which the Government of Northwest Territories is currently spending that could be spent on other priorities in this Assembly. We think the proposal is a win-win, Mr. Speaker and have been engaged with the public and the business community to hear what they have to think. DOT has met with the NWT Chamber of Commerce, the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines, Northern Air Transportation Association, NWT Tourism, City of Yellowknife, Aboriginal governments, and northern businesses that have expressed an interest in the initiative.
We hope we would get this legislation passed this session, Mr. Speaker, so we could start collecting this revenue and get on with some of the improvements we want to take and make at this airport as soon as possible. This motion throws off our schedule a little bit. It means we will miss out on collecting some of the money. But we get that committee wants to make more time to consult with the public on the proposed changes. We respect committee's wish to take the time to talk to the public and further review the bill. Cabinet will be abstaining from this motion, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Masi. To the motion. Member for Frame Lake.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. I am disappointed that our colleagues across the floor have indicated they are going to abstain on this motion. There was some reference in the Minister's reply or statement about missing revenues and so on. This is an important motion in terms of making sure that our standing committees have the ability to do the work that is required of them for them to carry out their due diligence roles.
I could go on about years of inertia across the way in terms of not making these changes a lot earlier. As early as possible on this side of the House, when we were made aware of this, even before it was a legislative proposal, during the business plan reviews, Regular Members raised some concerns and issues around this, communicated them to the Minister as early as May 12th, even before there was a legislative proposal that had come forward.
When the legislative proposal finally did come forward at the end of the last session, as early as June 6th, the standing committee had communicated with the Minister our desire to have further information on the business plan for the Yellowknife Airport moving forward. Mr. Speaker, that information took four months to get to the standing committee.
If we are going to talk about lost revenues, then we need to talk about the delays from our Cabinet colleagues in trying to move this forward. I am disappointed to hear that the Minister raised these issues around collecting revenues. I am not going to accept any blame for that, Mr. Speaker. I believe that the other side needs to move along getting information to this side of the House much more speedily. I am disappointed to hear the Minister make these remarks. Thanks, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. To the motion. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and the Environment has been clear since it first considered the legislative proposal that it would not be possible to conduct meaningful review of the Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act in absence of a business plan outlining the government's model, fee structure, and proposed administrative framework of the Yellowknife Airport that would be enabled by the legislation. The Department of Transportation was unable to provide this integral piece of information until nearly two thirds of committee's review period had lapsed. The delay directly resulted in committee not having sufficient time to meaningfully review the proposal, contact stakeholders, schedule public hearings, and report to the House within the original review period. Mr. Speaker, this is precisely the role of committee in review of any legislation.
Mr. Speaker, the standing committee does not wish to delay or obstruct the work of the department. In fact, we commend them for the efforts that they have put forward to date. In fact, the committee has gone as far as to encourage the department to continue its work and to consider advancing the proposed changes to fees within the timeline within the draft business plan. The committee is seeking an extension today to allow it to conduct a meaningful public review, to conduct its due diligence, and to do its job. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. To the motion. Question has been called. Motion carried.
---Carried
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled "The NWT and Canada: Partners for a Sustainable Future." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Minister for Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "NWT Community Futures Program 2014-15 Annual Report." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 307-18(2) and Oral Question 315-18(2) Fort Simpson Health Centre Planning Study." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents.
Thank you, colleagues. I call Committee of the Whole to order. Mr. Beaulieu, what is the wish of committee?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I move that we report progress.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Committee, a motion to report the progress is in order. Motion is carried. Committee will now rise and report the progress. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report progress, and Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.
Masi. Do we have a seconder? Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. Motion carried.
---Carried.
Orders of the day for Wednesday, October 26, 2016, at 1:30 p.m.:
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Commissioner’s Opening Address
Petitions
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
Motions
Motion 26-18(2), Junior Kindergarten (Ms. Green)
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Tabled Document 143-18(2), Capital Estimates, 2017-2018
Tabled Document 163-18(2), Capital Estimates, 2017-2018 for the Department of Public Works and Services and Department of Transportation
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Masi, Mr. Clerk. This House adjourns until Wednesday, October 26, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 4:02 p.m.
