Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I raised again the issue of a hotel tax. I feel very strongly that that could be one method our government could do to empower municipalities and give them a chance to raise new revenues to help encourage the tourism industry in good partnership with NWT Tourism. My question would be directly to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, because any modification for the municipal statutes, obviously, would be directed at him. Does the Department of MACA have a position on the possible amendments to the municipal statutes that could allow municipalities to achieve this type of authority and if they so chose to implement a hotel tax they would be enabled to do so? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, the NWTAC, as the Member had mentioned in his Member’s statement, had passed a motion asking for the municipalities to have the authority to levy hotel taxes. That being the case, we obviously have to listen to that and do our consultations and see what support is out there. This was something that was tried, I believe, in 2000, to levy a hotel tax, and a lot of the stakeholders that were opposed to it at that time are now speaking out in support of it. It’s one obviously we’d have to have a look at and see how we can go forward from there. Thank you.
Clearly, with that great answer you can tell that the Minister is obviously having a very good birthday, because that was a very good answer.
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to continue in the same positive vein in the sense of the answer he provided. He is correct; back in 2000, actually it was groups like the Hotel Association that were completely against these types of things, as well as others, but just to name one in this particular case. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister be willing to commit to doing a review on this particular initiative that is being jointly proposed by individual municipalities, the NWT Association of Communities, and certainly is being supported by the hotel industry and NWT Tourism? We’ve got a lot of partners that would like this particular initiative, certainly the authority. I should highlight, Mr. Speaker, that not everyone wants this and this is not something everyone would use, but it’s about empowering those municipalities who would like this. Would the Minister be willing to take that type of initiative on and do some work on it right away? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, this is one that does seem to be picking up steam and it’s one that we’d definitely have to have a look at. I will commit to the Member that we will take up the discussion. It is one where there is going to be some consultations that need to be done. All interested stakeholders that have something in this will have to be consulted and I’m not sure if during the life of this Assembly we would have time. It’s one issue that we could put in the transition document for the 17th Assembly to have a look at.
Mr. Speaker, with the research that I’ve done on this particular issue I’ve seen that the Manitoba government has empowered their municipalities to make these types of amendments. What I’m wondering is, first, I appreciate the commitment provided by the Minister thus far, but I’m wondering if he can take it a little further. If I’d provide that example and perhaps maybe if other people from industry support by providing other examples, would the Minister empower his own officials to see if they could do some work on this in advance of the upcoming NWT Association of Communities meeting, which is in about three months from now? It would certainly be a good particular issue for them to evaluate among their peers of what work can be done and what work could be done and see what type of feelings and perhaps support around the room when they actually see the type of wording that could be considered. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the department has already started some of the work in comparison to some of the other jurisdictions in the South and how they deal with the issue that we’re discussing today. I’m sure as they go into the NWTAC annual general meeting to be held in Tuktoyaktuk this year that they’ll have some information, because obviously they’re going to get questions on it, and as they normally do, they go there very well prepared and I believe they will be on this one too. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister seems to be quite well on top of this particular issue and it’s good to see. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister, finally, on a particular issue, be willing to commit to provide me a summary of the work that’s been done to date? I have a number of interested constituents on this particular matter and I want to assure them that the work is being done, as well as I want to see what work is being done from my own point of view to help support the department if that’s the direction that they end up going, as this is an important issue for the City of Yellowknife as well as other municipalities, the NWT Tourism, Hotel Association, as well as many others. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be willing to commit to sharing that information? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said before, there has been some preliminary work done on what some of the other jurisdictions are doing and I would be willing to provide what I have to the Member so he can see what other jurisdictions are doing. Then again, as I said before, the NWTAC AGM, the department will probably be expecting some questions on this and they’ll be doing more research, so they’ll be well prepared to answer any questions that they may have. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
