This is really the heart of the problem is that the federal funding is sitting there. Someone can access it. It reduces heating costs, but we are asking municipalities who are already underfunded to essentially take that on and then start providing heating to people, which requires setting up an entire utility. I really don't think we can put that ask on our underfunded community governments right now. Fortunately, the Minister of Infrastructure is also the Minister for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. Perhaps we can give that board of deputy ministers something to do. Is the Minister willing to change the mandate of the Power Corporation to include the option of being a utility for heating?
At this point, this is not something that is being contemplated. NTPC, the Power Corporation, role is to provide reliable electrical power.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it's a little rich for us to say it's not our mandate to provide home heating and then to tell the communities, which it's clearly not their mandate, to all of a sudden expand and to become a utility. Is the Minister willing to approach the Canadian Infrastructure Bank, where that federal funding is sitting, to fund a territory-wide feasibility study of biomass district heating, and we can find the most cost-effective way to do this for every community in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is possible if a suitable project came along that fits the investment criteria. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. My question is for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. GNWT progress on Thaidene Nene seems to have stalled. Meanwhile, on the federal side, Thaidene Nene staff have been going great guns, hiring monitors and a tourism coordinator, first-ever sport fishing system with Parks Canada. These are all welcome events. Then, of course, there was the signing of the agreement between the federal government and Yellowknives Dene First Nation on September 25th. Can the Minister explain why there are still no regulations for the establishment of the GNWT portion of Thaidene Nene and the wildlife conservation area? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to first of all thank the Member for continuing keeping us on our toes on this topic, and I greatly appreciate it. First of all, amendments to regulations for the Thaidene Nene should be completed by the end of 2021. However, what people need to know is EIA, plans, and natural resources department are working to finalize the process for engaging with inter-governmental councils and Indigenous governments and organizations on our legislative initiatives to ensure a consistent approach. ENR is preparing to engage on the Thaidene Nene and to Tuyeta territorial protected regulation developed using the interim inter-governmental council engagement process.
I want to thank the Minister for that information. Great that we're going to be working more collaboratively on regulations moving forward. I'll be back here in February asking more questions about Thaidene Nene. I'd like to ask the Minister, though, about progress on management boards for Thaidene Nene seems to be stalled, as well. Can the Minister tell us whether any of the relevant parties have made appointments, and if so, when and who?
We're in the process of appointing the members for the Thaidene Nene operational management board. Once this process is completed, we're then looking at appointing to our regional management board, so we're in the process and it's getting close.
I want to thank the Minister for that. Getting close counts in horseshoes but not in this Assembly. I understand that some of the parties have actually made appointments, they haven't been made public yet. I don't know what's going on, but that's what public registry is actually supposed to be doing. Can the Minister tell us, though, if there is a public seat on any of the Thaidene Nene management boards, and if so, how was recruitment carried out?
I agree that close is good in horseshoes, and we are getting really close. I have to say that we're getting close to having a ringer here, so that's a good thing. There is a seat on the operational management board for the Thaidene Nene that is appointed by the GNWT and Lutselk'e. However, there are no specific public seats on the operational management board. There is a government appointee for the regional management board that is to represent the public interest.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. This gets to one of the main points I want to make here is that there is a real scarcity of information on the so-called protected areas public registry. If we're recruiting somebody to sit as a public member, where is the public notice about it? I'll give the Minister another example: he extended the land withdrawal for the Dinaga Wek'ehodi protected area recently. That's not in the public registry, either. There's going to be a lot of correspondence from the management boards. That should be on the public registry. Can the Minister tell us when we can expect to see a real public registry for the Protected Areas Act and when will he get the resources to do it? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
There is a link to the land withdrawal for the Dinaga Wek'ehodi on the public registry. ENR is working to improve functionality of the protected areas registry. The work is scheduled to begin in January 2021. We expect that the new version of the protected area registry will be available next summer. In the meantime, ENR continues to keep the current protected areas registry up to date and compliance with section 9 of the Protected Areas Act. We are looking at how best to post board appointments information on the registry. We are trying to work within our guidelines and within our rules and work with the Indigenous governments to get this up and running.
We've heard from committee and we've heard from the Member that we need more money. We just need to do it right. Presently, we do have the money available to get the job done. It's just going to take some time, and we need to have the patience to do it. I'm more than willing to make a commitment here to meet with committee, meet with the MLA to have these conversations, and explain the process a little further and hear from the Member on how best we can get that registry up and running with what our rules are and what our responsibilities are. It is a bit of a challenge, and we are willing to work with the Member moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Presently, our minimum wage is $13.46. Presently, we are subsidizing everyone in the territory such that no one should be making less than $18 an hour. Will the Minister raise the minimum wage? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Depending on how long I'm here, I'm sure, at some point I might. The way that this works is that there is a minimum wage committee. It's made up of non-governmental organizations, industries, and there are representatives from the GNWT, as well. This group of people look at economic climate in the territory, they look at employment statistics, and they produce a report. That report should have been on my desk already, but the recent report from Finance regarding the effects of COVID-19 was deemed important enough that the committee got back together. They are considering that information, as well. I hope to have that report maybe by next week. I'll have a look at it, see what the recommendations in there are. Perhaps then, I'll be able to have a different answer to the Member's question, but who knows? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I really look forward to that report. Right now, my understanding is: there are less than 100 people that make less than $13.46 in the Northwest Territories. The vast majority of those people work in bars. I, myself, was a bartender for many years, and I know the paycheque almost becomes irrelevant because you make the money through tips. I want to raise the minimum wage. I want to go high, but I don't want to get pushback from the hospitality industry who's suffering. Many jurisdictions have made a lower rate for liquor servers. Is the Minister willing to do that?
I'll see what the report recommends. It's a complete waste of all of these people's time if I'm going to stand up here and answer these questions without ever seeing what is recommended. I understand what the Member is saying. I've worked in the industry, as well. I know that you make lower wages because you live off the tips. If that's something that they recommend, then that's something I'd consider. However, you don't get tips everywhere you work. Maybe Yellowknife isn't bad, but I know there are places where the tipping isn't great. We can't paint the NWT with the same brush as the rest of Canada.
The way that works in most jurisdictions is: the tips do not bring you up past minimum wage, then their employer must make up the difference. It's not a matter of: you don't get tips, you're working at a lower rate. Another exemption that I think would allow us to go higher is a lot of jurisdictions have a training wage. They have a wage for people in their teenaged years. This is the other argument that's often said why we can't raise the minimum wage because people have first-time jobs or they're just training. Is the Minister willing to implement a training wage for the minimum wage?
I don't think we can discriminate in the territory based on age and so to say that someone is under a certain age so they make less because we're calling it a training age. I had jobs when I was younger. I wasn't training. I was training people sometimes. I was working with people older than me, and I was training them. I don't want to get in trouble with any sort of human rights legislation, but again, I'm open to anything. I can't wait to see that report, and as soon as I receive it, I'll make sure that it's shared with the Standing Committee on Social Development. I'll be happy to have a conversation with them prior to making a decision.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Yellowknife North.
Mr. Speaker, I am trying to advocate for those exemptions so we can get a path to a living wage. I recognize that, the first few months on a job, perhaps it is justified to pay someone a lower rate. However, I think, if we're going to get in trouble with human rights, it's probably the fact that $13.46 at full-time is less than $30,000 a year. People are living in poverty if they earn our minimum wage. The market has moved well beyond this. You cannot hire someone in this territory, a full-time adult, and pay them $13.46. We have simply made our minimum wage irrelevant. Is the Minister willing to get a path forward on how we can get a living wage implemented in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That took a turn. The Member was advocating for an increased minimum wage, then said the minimum wage is irrelevant, and now wants a living wage. No, I don't have a path to a living wage. Frankly, I don't have a path to ensuring that everyone makes $25-plus in the territory. I'm really not sure how we would get to that at this point. It would take a rethinking of a lot of small businesses. I know of businesses in Hay River that would go under if they had to pay everyone $25 an hour, so no, I can't commit to that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents: "Annual Report on the Activities of the Rental Officer - April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020;" "Legal Aid Commission of the Northwest Territories Annual Report 2019-2020;" and "Northwest Territories Coroner Services 2019 Annual Report." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Minister of Finance.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: "Budget Dialogues 2020: What We Heard Report, September 2020." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Motion 17-19(2): WHEREAS this Legislative Assembly is required to appoint Members to the Board of Management in accordance with Section 36 of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act;
AND WHEREAS there is a requirement for the naming of two Members to hold the positions of deputy chairpersons of Committee of the Whole;
AND WHEREAS there is currently a vacancy in one of the positions of deputy chair of Committee of the Whole and it is desirable to appoint another Member;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that the following Member be appointed to the Board of Management of this Assembly:
The honourable Shane Thompson, Member for Nahendeh;
AND FURTHER, that the following Member be removed from the Board of Management as an alternate member:
Ms. Katrina Nokleby, Member for Great Slave;
AND FURTHERMORE, that the honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Ronald Bonnetrouge, be appointed as deputy chair of Committee of the Whole.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried. Thank you.
---Carried
Motions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. The second motion, motion 18-19(2) for appointment to standing committees on economic development and environment, government operations, and social development:
WHEREAS Rule 89(2) requires that Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment;
AND WHEREAS Rule 89(2) requires that Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Government Operations;
AND WHEREAS Rule 89(2) requires that Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Social Development;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that the following Member be appointed to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment:
Ms. Katrina Nokleby, Member for Great Slave;
AND FURTHER, that the following Member be appointed to the Standing Committee on Government Operations:
Mr. Ronald Bonnetrouge, the Member for Deh Cho;
AND FURTHER, that the following Member be appointed to the Standing Committee on Social Development:
Ms. Katrina Nokleby, the Member for Great Slave.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried. Thank you.
---Carried
