Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to advise this House that a ceremony was held today to celebrate the tremendous contributions that people across this Territory have made to education.
The Department of Education, Culture and Employment launched the Education Hall of Fame some months ago, requesting nominations be put forward for those Northerners who made lasting and selfless contributions to education. Nominations poured in, Mr. Speaker, and 15 people were chosen from across the Territory. The 2010 inductees embody the commitment, diligence, creativity and passion that we want education to inspire in us all.
Of those distinguished people inducted into the Education Hall of Fame this morning, some are with us in the gallery. They are:
Mrs. Sylvia Boyer, a teacher from Hay River. Mrs. Boyer taught in the Northwest Territories for 31 years and describes education as her “life calling.” Mrs. Boyer retired in 2001 but still participates in school activities today.
Mr. Brent Kaulback from Fort Smith is the deputy superintendent of the South Slave District Education Council. Mr. Kaulback made an enormous contribution to aboriginal culture and education including as project coordinator of the South Slave Topical Dictionary, which records and preserves the language of the Katl’odeehche people.
Mrs. Toni Harker Auge, a teacher from Yellowknife. Mrs. Harker Auge taught thousands of children during a northern teaching career that began in 1971. Despite having retired in 2006, she remains an active and sought-after volunteer in the education field.
Mr. Chuck Tolley has filled many roles in the education world but is nominated for his contribution as superintendent of schools and for his reputation for integrity and sound judgement. Mr. Tolley spent his forty-year career in many northern communities and was nominated by his former colleagues in Norman Wells.
Mrs. Margo McLeod is a classroom assistant from Aklavik. She began her career at the Moose Kerr School in 1974 and is still there today. Mrs. McLeod participates in on-the-land activities and mentors many students in the aboriginal classes. Her four children and 15 grandchildren have all attended Moose Kerr School.
Ms. Miki O’Kane has been the campus director at the Aurora College in Inuvik since 1994 and has a genuine desire to make a difference to the people of the Beaufort-Delta and Sahtu regions. Ms. O’Kane was the force behind the new student residence and campus classroom expansion projects, as well as the procurement of the Mobile Trades Training Unit.
Mr. Michael Botermans is a teaching assistant and volunteer sports coach at the Chief Jimmy Bruneau School in Behchoko. He is much loved by the students he inspires; in fact, nearly 50 students came to the Great Hall today to see him inducted into the Hall of Fame. Mr. Botermans is an energetic and passionate coach devoted to his students.
One other person inducted today but unable to join us is Mrs. Irma Miron from Hay River. Mrs. Miron began teaching in 1943 and never missed a day of school. Her creative and expressive approach to her job enabled her students to take a real enjoyment in her classes. She will receive her award at a ceremony in Hay River later this summer.
We stand on the shoulders of giants. There are many great people who came before us who laid the foundation of good work and dedication upon which we build. We were very pleased to recognize some of those people today with posthumous inductions into the Hall of Fame, and thank their family and friends for joining us here in the gallery. The posthumous inductees are:
Mrs. Elizabeth Mackenzie of Behchoko, a pioneer and committed education advocate;
Ms. Alice Cambridge of Hay River, a respected and innovative teacher and community contributor;
Mrs. Anne Enge from Yellowknife, a passionate advocate and school board trustee, the first aboriginal woman to complete a Grade 12 diploma;
Mr. Jerry Ruben from Paulatuk and Fort Smith, an insightful and compassionate teacher and avid sports coach;
Mr. John Miltenberger from Fort Smith, a forward-thinking and empowering teacher who believed in a community-centred approach and that education is priceless;
Mr. Cliff King, a teacher and hockey coach from Inuvik whose inclusive approach to teaching ensured that no child was left behind; and
Mr. John Carroll, a teacher from Hay River, Fort Simpson and Jean Marie River who was a friend and confidante to all his students, remaining so long after he retired.
These are the first inductees into the Education Hall of Fame. They are a truly impressive group of people who inspire thousands of us to do more and believe in ourselves. I hope all Members of this Assembly will join me in honouring the inductees into the Education Hall of Fame and thank them for dedicating their life’s work to the students of the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On May 12, 2010, I presented the latest proposal on the Supplementary Health Benefits Program to the Standing Committee on Social Programs. From the beginning this program has been designed to ensure that all residents in the Northwest Territories can access supplementary health benefits. Our first priority has been to develop a range of supports not covered by the Canada Health Act, third-party insurance, or other federal or territorial programs.
Since then, the Members of the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning have presented specific items they would like the government to consider before this program is implemented. I’m interested in reviewing those items and improving on the program we have presented.
As such, I’d like to announce today the creation of a working group of Ministers and Members of the Legislative Assembly to assist in this effort. This working group will use our government’s consensus approach to finalize the planning for and ensure a smooth transition to a new program. The group will consider, in part:
personal third-party coverage responsibility;
approaches to limit employer and/or individuals from dropping third-party insurance; and
the issue of accumulated high cost and a capped threshold.
This working group will report to Cabinet and the Priorities and Planning committee in June of this year to ensure an implementation date on or before November 1st, 2010.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later today, on behalf of the Interdepartmental Traditional Knowledge Working Group, I will be tabling the Traditional Knowledge Annual Report for 2009-2010. The report is a collaboration between the departments of Education, Culture and Employment, Environment and Natural Resources, Municipal and Community Affairs, Public Works and Services, Justice, Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, Transportation, Health and Social Services, Industry, Tourism and Investment, and Human Resources.
ENR, as the department responsible for coordinating government-wide traditional knowledge initiatives, worked with the Interdepartmental Traditional Knowledge Working Group to compile each department’s traditional knowledge initiatives undertaken during the 2009-2010 fiscal year.
Traditional knowledge is an essential component of program management within the Government of the Northwest Territories and we are committed to incorporating TK into the appropriate programs and services.
The GNWT recognizes the need to consider both traditional knowledge and scientific knowledge in the decision-making process and that the inclusion of TK is vital to the development of sound management plans and programs.
The integration of traditional knowledge into government decisions and actions is outlined in our Traditional Knowledge Policy.
The Traditional Knowledge Policy was first established in 1997 to promote and protect traditional knowledge and ensure it played a significant role in government programs and services. The policy defines traditional knowledge and knowledge and values which have been acquired through experience, observations from the land or from spiritual teachings, and handed down from one generation to another.
Mr. Speaker, we are proud to recognize the extent to which government departments have strived to include traditional knowledge in various programs and services. Education, Culture and Employment demonstrates its commitment to traditional knowledge by fully supporting culture and language-based education in early childhood education and in the school system. Traditional knowledge plays an integral role in Municipal and Community Affairs’ involvement in sport, recreation and community
Public Works and Services incorporated traditional knowledge when developing and updating the 2009 edition of Good Building Practices for Northern Facilities. Wilderness camp programming through the Department of Justice helps renew an offender’s connections with the land and their cultural values through various traditional activities.
Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations promotes, protects and uses traditional knowledge through land claim and self-government negotiations and government-to-government relations. Local people and elders provide the Department of Transportation with their traditional knowledge of the freeze/thaw cycle and permafrost locations, which proves invaluable when conducting road maintenance and repairs.
An Aboriginal Wellness Program and language interpretation services are just a few of the traditional knowledge initiatives offered by the Department of Health and Social Services. Industry, Tourism and Investment uses elder’s traditional knowledge in the creation of interpretive signs and displays in NWT parks.
Human Resources developed a framework for government-wide cross-cultural training to increase aboriginal cultural awareness and diversity in the workforce.
Mr. Speaker, these are just some of the programs and services provided by this government. Those departments not having direct responsibility for TK implementation supported the working group by providing advice and expertise while tracking the implementation of TK policy across the government.
The GNWT is dedicated to working with all Northerners to build a strong and independent North, taking advantage of the unique experience and knowledge all partners bring to the table.
The Traditional Knowledge Annual Report will update Member on our government’s progress in formally implementing traditional knowledge into our programs and services. TK will remain an integral part of government-wide operations. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, the town of Norman Wells is known for many things: friendly people, a rich oilfield, the CANOL Trail and the scenic beauty of a place that lies on the banks of the Mackenzie River and at the foot of the Mackenzie Mountains.
What Norman Wells probably isn’t known for is that it was the potato growing capital of the Northwest Territories last year. In 2009 more than 10,000 pounds of potatoes were grown there and then distributed and sold in the Sahtu region.
And how did this come about, Mr. Speaker? Well, thanks to the commitment and efforts of local producers with contributions from programs delivered under the Growing Forward Program, a federal-territorial partnership focused on developing agriculture.
Today I would like to talk about a very successful Growing Forward Program: the Small Scale Foods Program. As the weather warms up and the snow disappears across the Territory, gardening initiatives are sprouting up across the Northwest Territories, from the Alberta/Northwest Territories border to the Beaufort-Delta. The Small Scale Foods Program delivered by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is a major reason why.
This program is designed to establish market gardens across the Northwest Territories. It is now entering its fifth year in our Territory and 2010 is shaping up to be our busiest season yet. Activities are planned in 26 communities. Some of the work will result in new gardens being established where crops suitable for our northern climate, like carrots, turnips and, yes, potatoes, will be grown and harvested. In other communities, existing gardens will be expanded and in some cases new infrastructure will be added to improve yields and efficiencies.
Mr. Speaker, in the past our communities have relied on community gardens to provide nutritious, locally grown produce. The Small Scale Foods Program is reviving that practice.
The program is also in line with the vision of the 16th Legislative Assembly. It is more than just gardening we are doing here. The Small Scale Foods Program is about promoting self-sufficiency and self-reliance. And it also aims to create economic diversity and to reduce the cost of living.
The success of the Small Scale Foods Program shows our work is producing dividends. By revitalizing community gardens in the Territory, Small Scale Foods Program staff and local gardeners are helping make our communities healthier, more vibrant and sustainable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This morning I had the opportunity to attend the very first NWT Education Hall of Fame ceremony. I would like to credit the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment for taking the initiative of developing an idea and establishing an NWT Education Hall of Fame. I am more than pleased to be able to use my statement today to acknowledge one of the 15 inaugural inductees, someone who is also a personal friend, Mrs. Toni Auge.
---Applause
Mrs. Auge, now retired, had a teaching career which spanned 40-plus years and included teaching in her home country of New Zealand, at the Yellowknife Play School and at three Yellowknife Education District No. 1 schools: Mildred Hall School, J.H. Sissons School and Range Lake North School. Toni was the kindergarten teacher of Yellowknife. Parents would drive their kids across town to school because they wanted their child to have the wonderful experience of Mrs. Auge’s kindergarten class.
Over years of teaching, Toni has taught two and sometimes three generations of the same family. She has a great work ethic and she was and still is known for her empathetic character. Her teaching style has been described by colleagues as a very firm but fair policy in her classroom while making learning fun.
She was an education pioneer in many respects, someone ahead of her time. She taught by way of real life learning long before authentic learning was the buzz word in education. Learning in Toni’s class is all about making connections with the kids, with her colleagues, and with the parents. She had the respect of her peers and she was an inspiration to teachers young and old. She, as well, formally mentored several beginning teachers.
Outside the classroom, Toni was always dedicated to her students and her profession. No matter where she worked, Toni was an integral part of the school and its activities. Since her retirement in 2006, she stays in touch with former students and teachers and has continued to be an integral part of the Yellowknife Education District No. 1 through any number of activities.
These days, Toni maintains her interest in young children through her grandchildren and their friends. Mrs. Auge is most deserving of the honour bestowed on her as an inaugural member of the NWT Education Hall of Fame. I offer my heartfelt congratulations and ask Members to join me in saying well done, Toni. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has been a long time that I stood in this House and talked about the commercial fishing industry on Great Slave Lake. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that our government, our Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment has seen fit to hold that consultation with the Fisherman’s Federation that resulted in the vote to begin the actions required to remove the Great Slave Fishery in the Northwest Territories from the purview of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, it took a long time to get consensus amongst the fishers themselves. Unfortunately, we have seen this industry deteriorate from when about two million pounds of whitefish per year were being harvested from Great Slave Lake to now where we are lucky if we pull out 200,000 pounds of whitefish from Great Slave Lake.
Mr. Speaker, as you know, this was such a viable part of the economy of Hay River for so many years and we are looking forward to returning to that. This is healthy food on our doorstep. I don’t think there is enough market in the Northwest Territories, though, to absorb all of the fish. So of course the issue of marketing and the cross-border implications of exporting our fish are all matters that will need to be dealt with as we come up with a new plan for marketing the fish from the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON
TRANSFER OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PUBLIC HOUSING RENTAL SUBSIDY
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I will be speaking about the return of the administration of the public housing rental subsidy to local housing organizations. Responsibility for the public housing rental subsidy was transferred to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment in 2006 in an attempt at a one-window service. Some program improvements were made in terms of accountability and fairness across the NWT, but residents of small communities did not see themselves better served. I’m very pleased that the responsibility for the public housing rental subsidy will be returned to the NWT Housing Corporation.
No longer will tenants have to wait up to three weeks to have their assessments done. They will only have to speak directly to their local housing staff and this is very important to the people. I believe this approach is much more client friendly, it separates the subsidy from any link with social assistance, it also makes the subsidy more acceptable. This change is good news.
I respect the government’s willingness to listen to Regular Members and revisit their decision. Members’ input was a product of listening to their constituents and this is most important. I am confident that the transition from ECE back to the NWT Housing Corporation will be seamless and our clients will be well served. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The most urgent challenge facing our people, economy and our environment is the impact of climate change and the critical need to reduce our production of greenhouse gases. Even since the last time I spoke on this topic, new information has shown that things are getting rampantly worse. Sea ice melt is accelerating toward the prediction of an ice-free Arctic by 2030, 2020 or even sooner now. Global precipitation on land is down 40 percent. Alberta’s rivers are running at 20 to 80 percent of their normal flow. In the NWT, melting permafrost is causing higher levels of toxins in the fish our people depend upon and the damage to public infrastructure has begun. Our springs are weeks earlier, with a dry winter leading into a potentially costly fire season here and across much of Canada.
The 16th Assembly has made positive moves internally, replacing some of our fossil fuel systems with biomass, and with transparent costing and accounting of greenhouse gas reductions achieved. But, unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, we’re still not thinking across the board. Results of our electrical reviews contain nothing to show we’re taking a systemic approach to controlling carbon outputs and getting off oil onto renewable.
We have a new Biomass Strategy, comprehensive in its intentions, but bereft of any targets or schedules to achieve them. I’ll be looking for resolution to this gap in the upcoming business plans.
Climate change is an urgent global problem, but we’re not helpless. Proven solutions and approaches are in our hands that make sense not only for our environment but for growing local businesses, employment and investment, sheltering our economy from world oil markets and dramatically cutting our costs of living, as evidenced by the statement from our Minister McLeod just now.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Environment has previously committed to developing a greenhouse gas reduction strategy by April 2011, yet we are well into the fiscal year and we are still awaiting the first steps in this significant undertaking. A meaningful plan will include science-based targets for reduction and a means to achieve them in ways that add to our local economies. This is a major undertaking requiring sufficient time and public consultation so that we can move to action in a timely way. We need assurance that progress is well in hand.
As the Premier has said, Copenhagen showed that when federal governments will not lead, regional governments must act. We can’t lecture the world without following our own advice. We need to recognize the urgency of today and start real action on this goal that will take years to achieve.
I will continue to ask for the support of all Members on the major task of getting a good plan in place and shifting our energy systems to approaches that make economic, social and environmental sense.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in Deline about 5 percent of the population are living in warehouses, shacks and tents. Why? Because this government tries hard to make housing available but falls short of the mark. The Deline Housing Association has issued 30 eviction notices in the past few months; mostly, if not entirely, for unpaid rent. We are left with people living in cold and dangerous conditions; conditions that lead to disease from lack of proper sanitation and other problems.
Years ago the government decided it must do something to get people off their land, so they built housing units to bring them into the community. There was no follow through or perhaps only half-hearted attempts at teaching people that the houses they were given by the government were not free, or that the $2 rent may increase in the future to $5, and that the land that they had was not really the land that they thought they owned and that it was up for grabs. Now many people learn on their own that they have serious responsibilities to pay rent. Some fall through the cracks. The Housing Corporation today works with some of these people, but many still fall through the cracks. So when they get far behind in their rent, they get the sharp end of the boot: eviction.
It is the job of this government to protect our people. We care about them and do not want them getting sick from living in shacks or tents. I have to say yes. Or is this government any different from the government of 30 or 40 years ago that started the whole thing with public housing? There are no easy solutions, but there may be some solutions if we turn our minds to it. Let’s keep the door open and see for ourselves what we can do to keep these people in their homes.
I’m going to close my statement today with the same words I closed yesterday. This is where government can and must stand up for the people. It’s time we got this sorted out.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to bring up an issue today that has been brought up to me by constituents. Yellowknife is a very culturally diverse city. Our population of Filipinos, Japanese, Somalis, Chinese and other immigrant populations continues to flourish. I like to refer to Yellowknife as a cultural mosaic when describing it to those unfamiliar with our capital city. In my travels to communities like Hay River and Inuvik, you can also see the changes in the cultural dynamics of those two towns.
When making the decision to move to Canada, families can, and do, get separated by thousands of miles. Keeping in touch with loved ones is something very important to people. For most people the telephone is still the way this communication takes place.
Most people calling family and friends, whether in Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, or the Caribbean, like to buy the prepaid calling cards which are sold around our Territory. They come in a variety of names and denominations. The problem is that a card which is sold here, which is identical to ones sold in Edmonton, does not translate into the same number of minutes available. For some reason, NorthwesTel charges those using the calling cards 25 cents a minute just because the call originates in the Northwest Territories. A $20 card purchased and used here in Yellowknife would yield 14 minutes for a call to the Philippines. The same card used in Edmonton would bear more than 100 minutes. Where is the fairness in this? Why is this charge of 25 cents being put on our residents using these cards? The supposed toll-free access numbers are being subjected to this surcharge and I’m having trouble understanding why this is allowed to happen.
Customers using these calling cards should have equal and fair access to services. It is obvious that our residents are being gouged by someone for doing their best to stay in touch with their loved ones back home, which is shameful.
I will have questions for the Minister responsible for consumer protection at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Government silos continue to live and thrive within the GNWT. Breaking down these silos and finding ways for departments to work together and collaborate has been an issue since day one of the 16th Legislative Assembly. Collaboration between and understanding what different departments are doing at different times will help us find efficiencies within the system and improve the services to our residents. It will also help reduce the duplication of activities and help avoid embarrassment that occurs within our system from time to time when one department says one thing and another department says the exact opposite. Here’s a recent example of what I’m talking about.
On April 8, 2010, the Department of ITI released a new campaign to encourage people to come make their mark in the Northwest Territories. It included an excellent website which outlined a significant number of reasons why people should consider moving to and/or remaining in the Northwest Territories. It’s a great website and the department should definitely be proud of all of their hard work.
In the original release of the website, ITI promoted our existing supplementary health benefits as a reason to come to the Northwest Territories. Meanwhile, the day prior to the release of Come Make Your Mark, April 7, 2010, the Department of Health and Social Services conducted a public information session veiled as public consultation on the changing of the existing Supplementary Health Benefits Program; a program which is a clear incentive for people to move to and remain in the Northwest Territories. One hand clearly didn’t have any idea what the other hand was doing. This makes the government look pretty foolish.
As a note to ITI’s credit, when I, members of the public and some of my colleagues pointed out the contradiction to ITI, they immediately modified their website and removed the reference to the Supplementary Health Benefits Program until changes to the program are official. Hopefully the changes will be positive and supp health benefits will continue to be an incentive for people to move to and continue to live in the Northwest Territories.
Early in the life of this government the Premier identified the creation of strategic initiative committees which he indicated would help the government break down these silos. These committees consisted of the Ministers and deputy ministers and were designed to put those individuals in areas outside of their normal day-to-day business. For example, Managing This Land had a deputy head lead from Education, Culture and Employment. This was intended to force individuals outside of their comfort zone and to think outside of the box. In principal this sounds like a great idea.
Mr. Abernethy, your time for Member’s statement has expired.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
On face value it sounds like something that could work. However, we’re two and a half years into the life of this 16th Legislative Assembly and the silos continue to exist.
Do these committees continue to exist? What is the Premier doing to ensure that these committees are working? Is the Premier trying to find ways to break down government silos and ensure that the departments share information and work together? At the appropriate time I will be asking the Premier these and other questions.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member’s statement is on the Mackenzie Valley Highway. Two years ago we embarked on the very important project of the construction of Access Road 177. This $12 million three-year project involves local contractors and local suppliers and employs 75 to 80 people. The majority of the locals are all Inuvialuit. The project is an excellent start to what will one day become the Mackenzie Valley Highway, but it is only the start.
Recently the Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik road project required $975,000 towards the project description report and preliminary design. Currently the projects are being evaluated by the Environmental Impact Review Board. Once the project is finished this phase and gets the required funding, then hopefully we can get the shovels in the ground. All of these pieces are part of the Mackenzie Valley construction project.
This project would inject $1.2 billion to $2 billion of infrastructure of spending in the Northwest Territories, especially when the area is not currently benefitting by the large mining programs. These would push the Mackenzie Pipeline one step closer to reality. This would only generate huge employment in our region, would provide attractive infrastructure to industry.
This project is seriously to reduce the cost of living in the communities that I represent in Nunakput. This project would generate $35 million annually in the highway operations and maintenance contracts up and down the valley to create 181,000 person years of employment.
This government must lobby the federal government and must show the commitment. They must allocate multi-year funding. Even though this government is currently financially stretched, there are ways the parties could work together to get this going. Currently the Gwich’in and the Denendeh Development Corporation have majority shares of the Mackenzie Aboriginal Corporation who has initiated a P3 leaseback arrangement for the Mackenzie Highway Project. I know this government is well versed in P3 leasebacks. Currently there are many similar arrangements across the Territory. The Inuvik-Tuk working groups.
Lastly, this project would generate $250 million.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Lastly, this project would generate $140 million to $250 million worth of construction activity in the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk portion alone. It would be a huge shot in our economic environment in the region and in our Territory. Only with the completion of the highway, the federal government and the territorial government must say that Canada is truly linked coast to coast to coast.
I will have questions for the Minister of Transportation and Industry, Tourism and Investment at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last number of days I’ve received several phone calls and e-mails from local contractors in my riding who feel there is a total disadvantage regarding the contracting practices of this Government of the Northwest Territories. Especially the housing corporation when it comes to housing…(inaudible)…in local communities.
What I’m talking about are the advantages of large regional contractors to be able to supply, ship and erect contracts in the communities by way of having the purchase power, the means of moving the materials into the communities, and very little for local tender. Yet a local contractor has to make the local investment, have a local business, have a shop and also sustain his manpower.
Contractors such as plumbers in the communities have a disadvantage. Prior to these contracts being changed there used to be a local contracting process which allowed for labour-only contracts so that the contractors in the communities were able to take advantage, provide the labour responsibilities for those contracts, and find new initiatives for those contractors.
There has also been opportunities such as invitational tenders, allowing for tenders to be negotiated in those communities and bid on in those communities so the communities can take advantage of those construction opportunities which are very slim and very limited regarding the Inuvik region, especially in the communities where they have seen the downturn in the oil and gas industry.
There is a negotiating contracting policy that this government has. I’ve submitted several letters to the Minister of Housing regarding negotiated contracts, with nothing being mentioned to me of the status of those contractors and when it is going to Cabinet.
The rebundling of contractors is something that has been suggested on this side of the House to the government so that local contractors can take advantage of those contract opportunities. Nothing has been done in that area.
I think it’s important that we ensure that we have sustainable communities so that they can put the people to work, give them job opportunities during the summer months, and not have outsiders -- the fly-by-nighters -- come in and take advantage of these opportunities and not allow the local communities to take advantage.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Again, in regard to the opportunities for communities to take advantage of these tendering processes but ensuring that the benefits are derived in the communities where these capital dollars are expended and the capital investment is being made.
Again, we have high pockets of unemployment in most of our smaller communities exceeding over 45 to 50 percent unemployment, not compared to 23 or 24 percent in the larger regional centres. I think this government has to seriously take a look at this issue, go back to the drawing board and take a look at your contracting policies and procedures and the practices that are being done on the ground and ensure that your people are not advantaging the people at the regional centres because they’re buddies and help people in the communities to find work for the people who are unemployed. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re all too familiar with the devastating effects of oil spills and millions of dollars that are needed to clean them up. An oil spill does not have to be as big as the Gulf of Mexico or, certainly, the Exxon Valdez to have serious financial and long-lasting environmental implications. Mr. Speaker, similar small scale catastrophes happen in our own backyard. Anyone who has experienced a fuel spill as a result of a leaky oil tank knows exactly what I’m talking about.
I’m aware of a recent resident who has paid over $200,000 to excavate contaminated soil in their very own backyard. In many cases, neighbouring properties are contaminated as well and this is such a case. Even with insurance, Mr. Speaker, they still pay only a pittance of the coverage of what that expense actually is.
Mr. Speaker, while we are making progress on alternative forms of energy, most people still heat their homes with oil stored in tanks on their properties. We pay a lot to heat our homes in the North and at least this government could do things such as assistance for fuel tank replacement.
Mr. Speaker, generally it costs anywhere between $1,800 and $3,600 to replace an oil tank here in Yellowknife. I can only imagine what it would cost in a community. Mr. Speaker, you also have to pay additional fees to return your tank to the dump because there is a disposal fee. Mr. Speaker, if you’re a low income family, replacing a fuel tank is certainly probably a low priority or a non-existent priority when you compare that issue with food, rent or perhaps child care.
Mr. Speaker, we already provide rebates for things such as retrofit of old appliances such as fridges, pellet stoves and low-flow toilets, to name a few. A simple rebate program for double walled or fibreglass oil tanks could help people go a long way to make sure that they’re taking the responsible choices of updating their tanks.
Mr. Speaker, I don’t have to tell you, if you’re selling your home today, one of the first things the person looks at is when was the last time that oil tank was changed.
Mr. Speaker, this is a serious problem out there in industry and should be a serious problem recognized by this government. Mr. Speaker, a rebate program could go a long way to helping people. Mr. Speaker, with the quality problems of steel tanks and, of course, things like the low sulphur, these oil tanks have problems surviving.
So, Mr. Speaker, we need a program to help our average person here in the Northwest Territories, to show that the government does care about the programs. If anyone thinks a replacement of an oil tank is cheap, they’ve got that wrong. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as one of four Members in here from the Beaufort-Delta, we’re very fortunate up there that we have a whole wealth of knowledge that we can draw on to help as we represent the people of the Beaufort-Delta. One of the people that I do talk to quite a bit, Mr. Speaker, is with us here in the gallery. Mr. Fred Carmichael has been involved in politics in the Delta for a long time. He’s a recent recipient of the Order of Canada and also just recently celebrated his 75th birthday.
---Applause
So we were very fortunate up there, as all people are across the Northwest Territories, that they have a lot of veterans that we can count on and they can pass their knowledge along to us and let us know if we’re doing our job properly and let us know how we can improve doing our job. That’s something they’re always willing to share with us.
Fred is actually here today with Miki who was today inducted into the Education Hall of Fame, and I think I speak for the residents of Inuvik when I say that you’re really not supposed to leave Aurora College. We should pass legislation that prevents you from doing so.
---Laughter
Mr. Speaker, it’s my pleasure today to really acknowledge two hall of famers, in my book. Of all the acknowledgements and the recognitions and the milestones that Fred has received, I think the one that I want the most is to be able to celebrate my 75th birthday and still look as young as he does. Thank you.
