Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Ms. Craig.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have an annual contribution agreement with the Inuvialuit Water Board, which is the mechanism for flowing their funding to them. They are members of the public service; therefore they are on our system where there's an annual performance appraisals and goals and objectives are recorded and documented in performance management. Evaluations are done on an annual basis. The board has a set of operating procedures as well that are reviewed both by the board and by corporate management so that all considerations under the Financial Administrations Act and our Procurement Shared Services, as well as the business of the board, are all encompassed in those operating procedures. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Has the department thought about whether there's any value in having an MOU that sets out rules and responsibilities with regards to the staffing arrangements? Has there been any consideration of an MOU or some kind of an agreement that would set out roles and responsibilities more clearly than an annual contribution agreement? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Ms. Craig.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We do not have a formal memorandum of understanding with the board. However, there are operating procedures that have been approved by both the board and the GNWT. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. O'Reilly.
Well, I may be the only one in the room who thinks that there may be some value to this, but I'm going to leave this alone. It's a very particular sort of arrangement. I'm not suggesting that there's anything untoward about any of this. I've worked with some of those staff in the past. They work hard. They do their jobs, but it does put them perhaps in an awkward situation when they're GNWT employees and they have to report to the board, especially if our government comes forward looking for a water licence at some point before the Water Board. I think that's going to put them in an even more difficult position.
I've made my comment and my suggestion. I don't think I'm getting a very good reception, but I'll just leave it at that. I'll probably raise it again next year. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Any further questions from committee? Are we agreed?
Agreed.
Agreed. Thank you. That brings us back to page 65. Environment and Natural Resources, 2018-2017 Main Estimates, total department, $88,954,000. Questions? Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Before we do the final approval, I just have a couple of more questions as it relates to page 66, which is the revenue summary on the next page.
I'd like to ask a little bit about licences. A number of tour operators, of course, have a number of visitors or tourists that they'd like to take out for fishing, and a lot of the times, it's just day fishing. The question is: is the department working on, or is there an opportunity to formulate, a day licence rather than right now I believe our fishing licences are for the year? I can't quote for sure what the cost is, but I'm thinking it's something like $30 or $35, if I recall correctly.
For a number of folks, that just seems a little too expensive for one day. Is there an opportunity for us to be able to come up with a day fishing licence that is at a much more affordable rate for tourists? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I actually had that discussion with the Minister of DFO. My understanding, as Ms. Craig pointed out, is that they are having a meeting with them this week, because we had heard about it the week before we went down on a trip to Ottawa. I think the Minister of ITI and the Premier have heard about it as well. We actually raised it. Of all the conversations I've had and the conversation with Minister Morneau last year, we raised the fact about the one-day fishing licence and we were kind of hoping he'd put it in his budget address last year. We are working with it and it is an issue that we've heard. We are working on it.
Once Ms. Craig has her meeting with the appropriate folks, then I'm sure we'll have more information to share with the Member and with committee. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. While I appreciate that the department is working on this, maybe just for clarification, or maybe just for my own ignorance: why does the DFO have jurisdiction over this? I mean, since devolution, wouldn't in-land waters be our jurisdiction? Why wouldn't licensing be within our department's responsibilities? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, Fisheries has stayed with the feds. It's being devolved to the territories. We're in the early stages of discussions with the feds on that, but the Fisheries part did stay with the feds. That's the reason that we had to try to go through DFO to get the one-day fishing licence. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Just for clarification, Mr. Chair, are we expecting that Fisheries is being transferred eventually over to us? Just a point of clarification. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister McLeod.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we would want it to come over. We're in the early stages of a discussion with them. I'm sure one of the topics of discussion will be: we want the money to come over with it. We're in the early stages of the discussions and, if we have any information to share, I will be happy to put in in the form of a letter or an email to committee and just say this is where we are at. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and just a last question. Back to the fishing licences, then: if I can get a commitment from the Minister to get back to me with regard to maybe some detail, more information on what work the department is doing and that, just so that I can get back to tour operators and inform them, potentially, of a timeline as to when we might be able to expect a day-long fishing licence? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Dr. Dragon.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Over the past year, I think I have had three conversations with the DFO deputy minister on this. One of the issues with this fishing licence is that it is tied to the User Fees Act in federal legislation. The deputy minister has had a conversation with Treasury Board Secretariat as of two weeks ago, where she thought she was able to get some traction in order for us to change. Unfortunately, I cannot give you a timeline when we are going to be able to come back on when we can change it. I can let you know that it is on my agenda every time I speak with her, because I think we need to have that ability to change regulations that happen in the North. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Dr. Dragon. Any further questions, committee? Mr. O'Reilly.
Okay, thanks, Mr. Chair. So I think this is the section of the department where water use fees would be found. These would be fees that are paid under water licences. Is that correct, Mr. Chair? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod.
That is correct.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can someone with the department tell me what the water use fees were, what those revenues were for last year, and what they are anticipated to be for this year? Actually, I think it is found on page 66. It is just up there, isn’t it, so that is the $80,000? Is that what that is? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Ms. Craig.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The budget for water use fees is on page 66. It is $80,000 per year. That is the budget. In 2016-2017, we collected $47,000. The amount that we will collect in 2017-2018 is dependent on exactly how much water is used by the licence holders. We really will not know the total amount until the end of the fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. So, the water use fees, is that something that we would be looking at revising in the review of the Waters Act? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Ms. Craig.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I understand that the water use fees are set in regulations, and they are applied by the land and water boards. As the Assembly knows, we are putting through a review of our Waters Act this year in this Assembly. The next step would be looking at the regulations, so there might be the opportunity at that time to increase the water use fees. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, the reason why I ask this is I am just looking at the water regulations now on my computer here, and the highest rate seems to be about $2 per 100 cubic metres of water. That seems to be a pretty low rate. You know, people pay more than $2 for a bottle of water at the grocery store. So has the department done any work to look at comparable rates that are charged by other jurisdictions in Canada for water use? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. I am sure we have done some work. I am not exact. I will confirm that, as to looking at comparable water rates, and we will see. We will do some research. I will commit to the Member that we will do some research and see what our rates are compared to the other jurisdictions, and then we will plan a course of action from there. I will commit to getting that information. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, I appreciate that the Minister is going to do that work, and I know that he is really keen to look at new sources of revenue. Certainly, this is one, and this, these rates, have not been touched in decades. I can tell the Minister that. I think, quite frankly, we are giving our water away. These rates, as I understand it, are comparatively low compared to most other jurisdictions in Canada, and this needs to be changed. This is one of the reasons we got devolution, was to try to make sure that we get a fair return for the use of our resources, and I do not think these sort of rates for use of water are what they should be. So I leave that with the Minister. I will look forward to getting his information, but this, to me, seems like an easy one to do compared to a land transfer tax. I will leave it at that. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, as I said, we will go back, have a look at the information, and see where it goes. I mean the Member is right. A Minister is always looking for -- Minister, this whole Assembly should be looking at other sources of revenue, and this may be one of them. We will do our due diligence, and then we will come up with a plan from there, but then I need to know that, once we decide to do that, that I have got the support of committee and not have people running in 10 different directions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Next, we have Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was just wondering, my honourable friend brought up questions around the fishing licences, so the fees generated on those licences, are they paid to the federal government or do we draw some of that revenue into our government? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
We get the fees, Mr. Chair, but, unfortunately, because of the user pay act, we have no say in what they are. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
