Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to provide some context on this government’s decision to transfer the administration of the Public Housing Rental Subsidy back to the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. This decision restores full responsibility for all aspects of the Public Housing Program to the Housing Corporation and its community partners, the local housing organizations.
The Public Housing Program plays a critical role in meeting the housing needs in our communities. With the ever increasing need for housing in the Northwest Territories comes an increasing reliance on our programs, and an increasing demand to ensure that tenants in communities receive the highest level of service possible through programs designed to suit the needs of Northerners.
During the 15th Legislative Assembly, the Government of the Northwest Territories approved the Income Security Policy Framework for Personal Self-Reliance. This framework was designed to create a one-stop shop for income security programs and for greater consistency in the administration of those programs. However, in subsequent years, concerns have been raised by tenants, MLAs, and other stakeholders about the administration of the Public Housing Rental Subsidy.
Since the responsibility of the Public Housing Rental Subsidy was transferred to ECE, the Housing Corporation and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment have been working closely in an effort to better align the
program with the Income Security Policy Framework. Providing timely assessments and having tenants become accustomed to the new process has been a continuing challenge that resulted in duplication of effort on the part of many clients who were accessing one service, increased rental arrears and lack of financial stability at LHOs.
Mr. Speaker, as Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, I have given direction to my officials that the focus of the corporation will continue to be on our tenants. I believe that in order for the Public Housing Program to respond to the needs of the Northwest Territories and its residents, it is essential to have partnerships with tenants that can better inform our decisions as they relate to housing programs, policies and needs. It is clear that the process of assessing rents has been less convenient for most tenants in recent years. We have heard tenants’ concerns in this area and are addressing them. It is important that the future delivery model for public housing be designed to provide not only fair and equitable treatment to all tenants, but to do so in a respectful, locally driven and dignified way.
Residents of the NWT expect and deserve efficient service from government departments and agencies. In our effort to provide improvements to programs and initiatives, we must also be willing to learn from our tenants, leaders and citizens, respect their needs and consider their guidance in program design and delivery. As Minister responsible for the NWTHC, one of my primary goals is the provision of improved client service and ongoing improvements to our Public Housing Program and its delivery. I am also committed to identifying and taking advantage of improved efficiencies that can result from coordination between departments and agencies.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that the transfer of responsibility for public housing subsidies back to the NWTHC is not simply a turning back of the clock to the old way of doing business. Our focus going forward will be on correcting the problems that have arisen over the past five years and building on the improvements that were made during that time. Most importantly, we recognize that in order for housing programs to be effective, they must be developed and improved in partnership with stakeholders. As Minister responsible for Housing, I believe it is critical that local solutions for housing are developed that reflect northern need while recognizing the significant challenges we face. We will now turn our focus to working more directly with our tenants, LHOs, NWTHC and ECE staff, MLAs and other stakeholders to make necessary changes to the delivery of public housing.
Effective communications are vital in our future approach. We intend to continually improve our communications not only to provide better information to our clients but to be more responsive to their concerns. Ultimately, the housing challenges being faced by the NWT can only be addressed through the provision of northern programs that address northern needs and a clear partnership between tenants and government. These partnerships will guide us in our efforts to provide adequate, affordable and suitable housing to residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Minister’s Statement 47-16(4) be moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. There’s a motion on the floor. The motion is in order.
---Carried
Minister’s Statement 47-16(4) will be moved into Committee of the Whole.
The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment assumed responsibility for administration of the Public Housing Rental Subsidy on April 1, 2006. Leading into the transfer, some specific goals were put in place for improvements to the program in the overall context of the income security framework.
A lot of hard work has been undertaken and we have met with some success. We are pleased to report that Education, Culture and Employment has strengthened the Public Housing Rental Subsidy Program over the past four years and have developed new tools including a policy and procedures manual, forms, training material, an electronic information system, and overall monitoring and reporting procedures. The department has also implemented an appeal process for clients who do not agree with the outcomes of their assessments. These new and improved policies and processes make the program more effective and efficient from an accountability perspective and also ensure that clients are treated fairly and equitably across the Northwest Territories.
During this time, much emphasis was put on maintaining the dignity of income security clients and increasing support for people to make productive choices to enable them to have a better quality of life. Mr. Speaker, at all times, we deliver income security programs with a client-focused perspective and it was with this vision that the PHRS was merged into the basket of programs available to help our residents. The one-stop shop for subsidies also meant a number of clients could access information on benefits other than the Public Housing Rental Subsidy in one location.
While the goals we set were achieved, in undertaking this work we also discovered ramifications that were not immediately apparent.
Mr. Speaker, for instance, although we much improved service to our income security clients, those clients who only required the Public Housing Rental Subsidy became disconnected from the local housing organizations. Over time, it emerged that this disconnect was not helpful to those clients and concerns have been expressed that their dignity was compromised.
Since the transfer occurred, Education, Culture and Employment and the Housing Corporation, including local housing organizations, have worked diligently and cooperatively in a strong effort to resolve issues and make improvements around the service of providing subsidies to public housing tenants through the Public Housing Rental Subsidy Program. In addition, the government undertook a review of the administration of the program. The findings of the review are being examined by an interdepartmental steering committee.
Mr. Speaker, we have all but concluded this work and we have reached a decision regarding the future administration of the Public Housing Rental Subsidy Program. The responsibility of the program will return to the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation to be delivered by local housing organizations.
We all agree that the good work that Education, Culture and Employment has accomplished over the past years will be built upon by the NWT Housing Corporation and the local housing organizations to produce an even greater process, still with a strong client focus, that will better serve the people of the Northwest Territories. We must continue our work together to help people move ahead in their lives and support those with the greatest need.
Education, Culture and Employment and the NWT Housing Corporation will work closely together over the coming months to provide for a seamless transition. We will be sharing an ongoing rollout and communications plan with Members over the coming weeks and months.
Mr. Speaker, we would like to thank Members for their advice and guidance during this time. It is only through honest collaboration, such as this, that we can continue to make system improvements to the benefit of our people in the North. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to provide Members and the public with information related to the future Mackenzie Valley Highway to Tuktoyaktuk.
On Friday, January 29th, the Government of Canada announced it has agreed to commit $3 million over two years toward a $7 million project description report on the construction of an all-weather highway from Wrigley to the Dempster Highway. This report will work in combination with a previously announced $1 million commitment to a project description report for the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk portion.
With this announcement, the Government of Canada has partnered with the Government of Northwest Territories to take a necessary next step leading to the construction of an all-weather highway connecting the national highway system through the Mackenzie Valley to Tuktoyaktuk.
The project description report will provide baseline environmental and engineering information required for the consultation and regulatory process of the proposed route of the Mackenzie Valley Highway. It identifies the scope of work, predicted impacts and mitigation measures that will be required when the project proceeds. It will provide an opportunity for communities that will be affected by the highway to identify concerns and requirements to better inform the planning process for the design and development of the highway. It is an important next step for this project, which has been identified by the 16th Assembly as a significant priority.
In combination with the work that has already been done in building 34 of the 40 required bridges for the Mackenzie Valley winter road, this funding announcement is an indication that our government’s efforts to put the construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway on the agenda of federal decision-makers has been at least partially successful. Members have my assurance that this government will continue to make the case for federal funding and support for the construction of a Mackenzie Valley Highway that will lower the cost of living and improve economic opportunities for the valley, and that will connect Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, trapping has long been a way of life for the people of the Northwest Territories. It’s a fundamental part of our culture. It is part of who we are.
Trapping is also an important economic activity, especially in many of our smaller communities. Trapping is not easy work, but it is rewarding work and it allows our people to get out on the land -- just as their ancestors have done for centuries -- and make a few dollars while they are at it.
Mr. Speaker, results from a recent fur auction show just how important that activity is to the Northwest Territories. At the Fur Harvesters Auction Inc. Wild Fur Sale held in North Bay, Ontario, in early January, $100,000 worth of genuine Mackenzie Valley furs were sold.
Worth noting from that sale is that all of our muskrats pelts were sold -- over 12,600 in all -- and 95 percent of our beaver and red fox fur pelts were also sold. Prices for muskrat, beaver and fox increased as much as 20 percent compared to last year’s prices, a strong indication that the market for furs is improving. Most of the demand at the North Bay auction came from Chinese and Greek buyers.
The next auction where genuine Mackenzie Valley furs will be sold is in Seattle, Washington, on February 19, and we look forward to more positive results from that event.
Mr. Speaker, to further illustrate the economic impact the trapping industry has on the Territory, I must mention our 2008-2009 sales results from Northwest Territories wild furs. From October 2008 to June 2009, $1.1 million worth of genuine Mackenzie Valley furs were sold.
These are outstanding results, given that demand for furs dropped substantially over the past couple of years due to the global recession. It is also a testament to the work done by this government to promote the traditional fur economy through the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program.
Since the program was created in 2002, our government has worked with Northwest Territories fur harvesters and the fur industry to support and promote the trapping industry. Thanks in large part to those efforts and the hard work of our trappers, genuine Mackenzie Valley furs are now recognized as some of the finest wild furs in the world.
Through initiatives like our guaranteed advances, the Prime Fur Bonus Program and the Grubstake Program, our government provides Northwest Territories trappers with the proper support and incentives to keep them harvesting wild fur and to keep this traditional way of life alive.
And, Mr. Speaker, there is evidence our work is paying off in more than just fur sales. It is paying off in the increased number of Northwest Territories residents who are going out on the land and actively trapping.
Last season the number of active trappers in the Northwest Territories was 809. That is up from 627 trappers in 2007-2008 -- a 30 percent increase -- and it is the highest number of active trappers we’ve had since the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program began. That growth in trappers is especially evident in the South Slave and Sahtu regions.
Mr. Speaker, the health of our trapping industry in the Northwest Territories is a good news story. Mega projects like the Mackenzie Gas Project tend to grab all of the attention and headlines, but it’s community-based sectors like the trapping industry that truly help diversify our economy, which is one of the goals of the 16th Legislative Assembly.
As the recent results from the North Bay auction and our 2008-2009 sales of genuine Mackenzie Valley furs prove, trapping is one of those opportunities, and I look forward to even better results in 2010. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to continue to talk about the caribou issue today in terms of trust and relationship. Today I don’t want to talk about whether the decision was good or bad, right or wrong; I want to talk about it in the context of consultation as more than a fly-by, a coffee, a hey, how you doing? That is a southern mentality that has been brought up here for years when they speak to true Northerners and it does not work. Anyone here even for a short time can tell you that is not how decisions need to be made.
Last week I heard a wise man say, what good is a right if you can’t exercise it? He was true to his point. Because no one wants to hear the last rifle shot to take down the last of the caribou. The GNWT must realize that the caribou harvest is more than a right. It is an essence of spiritual being of the aboriginal people of our North. There needs to be some decision with context that works with them. It’s not about our lawyers are smarter than their lawyers and the Constitution tells us what we can tell you. It’s about working together. It’s about the moral obligation to ensure that the aboriginal people are sharing in their treaty rights, their destiny as how we work together.
It’s turning into more of a school-ground argument where my dad is tougher than your dad. But I’ll tell you, their lawyers are just going to waste more money on our lawyers and we’re going to lose in our relationship of trust.
There is more here than the law at stake, it’s politics; the politics of what we can do with our friends and their friends. I think there’s an equal relationship that needs to be constantly fostered between the Northwest Territories government and the aboriginal leadership.
The decision of the caribou needs to be a decision with the aboriginal people. A political decision like this is not just about the caribou, it is rather about the Dene culture. I think it’s time for this Minister and this government to immediately call upon a caribou summit that invites the Dene leadership to discuss this issue. Leave the special interests at home. Leave the bureaucrats, those Mandarins, at home. Have a face-to-face, eye-to-eye conversation with the leadership of the Dene and our government leader on this issue, Mr. Miltenberger, and we’ll find an immediate solution by calling a summit and together we’ll find a path to work together.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
[English translation not provided.]
Today I want to speak about the need for safe playground equipment in Fort Liard. We are well aware of the importance of physical activity for children’s health. Recently the media has reported that exercise is linked with a greater ability for children to concentrate in classrooms. This is important for us to ensure that our children have opportunities to play games and have fun. I’m not talking about sedentary activities like computer games and indoor activities.
When the weather’s a bit warmer than today, if you go by a school playground at recess you’ll hear a swirl of voices as children move around and talk and yell. We pretty well take playgrounds for granted, but they are very important.
The Acho Dene School’s, in Fort Liard, existing equipment is beyond repair and the pressure treatment used on the wood does not meet current national standards for safety. The equipment is currently frozen in place and attempting to remove it before spring is almost impossible as the site also needs to be backfilled and re-levelled. It’s too bad the playground couldn’t have been upgraded earlier.
However, the Dehcho Division Board of Education is working with Education, Culture and Employment regarding funding for the replacement to the equipment and the Public Works and Services facility planning division has also been in contact with ECE regarding replacement. Education, Culture and Employment is working to identify the funding in next year’s budget, if possible. That’s in 2011. I believe that the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment should ensure that funding is provided to remove and replace this playground in this fiscal year. I also believe that safety to our school children is a priority that we cannot wait until next year for.
I will ask the Minister questions at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are many reasons why students in Nunakput drop out of school, but my major concern is that they do so because we are not supporting them. If we’re asking kids to stay in school, we need to step up and meet them half way. We need to provide them with resources, moral support, a good school environment, and a safe and reliable place for them to stay and live. So far we’re not providing many of these services and that is a shame.
Currently I have eight students in the Nunakput community of Sachs Harbour who, for various reasons, have left high school in Inuvik and moved back to Sachs Harbour; reasons such as nowhere to live, not enough resources, and no moral support.
This government must get serious about providing an equal standard of schooling all across the Territory, not just in larger centres. The government should provide a teacher immediately so these students can continue their education and earn at least some high school credits this year. Eight students would warrant and justify resources of a teacher in the larger centres or Aurora College. Why are these eight students in Sachs Harbour any different?
I cannot fathom how the government does not have any program initiatives to assist in addressing the high school dropout situation all across the North, especially with so many jobs and careers that now require more and more education. Many students have to leave strong family support networks to larger centres such as Inuvik. Unfortunately, that seems to be a growing trend in many regional centres, that students are finding it harder and harder due to limited resources and changing high school environments.
This is a different time that students are facing. It’s not like when we were in high school. These kids are facing a lot more intense situations these days. A growing number of students are dropping out of high school because of the problems and serious concerns. The inadequacies are the perfect example of discrepancies between the communities and lack of government initiatives and efforts to resolve them. As I expressed in my previous Member’s statements, recent closure of homes in regional centres across the Northwest Territories has emphasized these problems.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Many of us have lived in the North all our lives, or a length of time, and have all heard the challenges, problems and statistics related to students in small, isolated communities. Hearing situations like these makes me wonder if these are some of the causes. Mr. Speaker, I’ll have questions for the Minister of ECE at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, have similar concerns in regard to the students in Tsiigehtchic who now are having to go off to get their high school education in Inuvik by way of home boarding.
Mr. Speaker, there was a decision made by the government, I believe in the 12th Assembly, to implement high schools in all communities in the Northwest Territories from K to 12. Yet, Mr. Speaker, almost 20 years later we still haven’t been able to implement that decision made by previous governments. Mr. Speaker, when we have the dropout rates that we’re seeing in regard to home boarding or regional hostels, it’s a wonder why this government is not implementing that policy fully by ensuring that students, regardless of where they are -- Sachs Harbour, Tsiigehtchic -- can receive a high school diploma in their home community.
Mr. Speaker, I believe it’s critical that this government find a unique solution to this problem and if that means bringing in extra teachers, two or three teachers into Sachs Harbour and two or three teachers into Tsiigehtchic, so those students do not have to leave their home communities to receive their high school diploma somewhere else, and realizing in the last two years since this has been tried, the dropout rates in both communities have been grave.
I think, Mr. Speaker, it’s time that this government found solutions around the decision to offer high school programs in all communities and not continue to use the scenario student/pupil ratio, because it does not fit in small communities. I think, Mr. Speaker, that this government has to make a capital investment to either find more teachers for those communities or find a way around the problems we’re seeing with home boarding and students having to leave their home community and simply dropping out and going back home before the school year is out. Again, Mr. Speaker, I’ll leave that for the Minister of Education. I will be asking him some questions later on this matter. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to weigh in on the caribou issue here today. It is something that has certainly caught the attention of the many, many people in the North who depend on this valuable resource as a way of life. Although I’m not one of those people, I am observing the situation and I have some comments that I would like to make on it as well.
Mr. Speaker, I’ve had an opportunity, through the Minister of ENR and his staff, to see some of the science around the declining and virtually threatened numbers and the populations of the different caribou herds. Some of the impacts are fairly obvious. Some are not so obvious. There are many potential impacts and not all of them are the traditional harvest of the caribou by people. There are many other things that seem to be affecting this and, like I said, not all of them are absolutely quantifiable.
However, Mr. Speaker, we hear from the Department of ENR that they have gone out and they have done their best to consult with stakeholders and those who are impacted by any actions this government may take to protect this resource. I do not doubt, to some extent and as documented, that that kind of consultation has taken place. But, Mr. Speaker, there’s probably a subtle difference when we share the responsibility for the management and conservation of this resource with other governments. There is probably a subtle difference between consultation where you go and just tell the information to people and the type of consultation where you receive the feedback.
I think that the consultation should have taken on the format of inquiring of those people who probably value the resource as much or more than we do as legislators in asking the question: if this scientific data and if this population census is correct, what are we going to do? What’s the solution? What is the collective solution? What are the answers to these questions?
So, Mr. Speaker, although I know that this does call for decisions and it does call for a response to the problem, I believe that we all have a duty to be a part of that and if there is a way of extending our hand to our other stakeholders in a way of asking the question about what the solution is as opposed to telling them, I think it would go a long ways. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will use my statement today to air some frustrations; frustrations with our Executive Council and the behemoth of a bureaucracy that is our government. I find myself believing that even though we’re just over half way through our four-year term, I sense that our Executive Council, our leaders, those presumably taking charge and showing the way, that they’re placing less and less emphasis on working. I already see the downward slide or slowdown that I’m told sets in and immobilizes government in the last year of any Assembly’s life. This is certainly not my preferred course of action.
If this Assembly can manage to work hard, continue to pass legislation, develop new ideas and put plans in place right up to dissolution, then I would be one very happy MLA. But I already see us slowing down both mentally and physically. It may be a perception that only pertains to me, but perception is nine-tenths of the law and it should be heeded.
Why do I feel this way? Well, here are a few examples: There’s a distinct lack of visible progress from the Strategic Initiatives committees. What are they accomplishing? We’ve heard nothing from several of these committees for many months -- the Cost of Living Committee, the Managing this Land Committee, the Maximizing Opportunities Committee, the Building This Land Committee. I can’t remember when we last had an update on the work of these committees. The only one which seems to be productive is the Refocusing Government Committee.
A second indicator is the abnormally long list of outstanding requests for information from standing committees, the Economic Development and Infrastructure committee especially. There have been opportunities for Ministers to meet with Regular Members but the briefings have not been forthcoming. Is it because the Strategic Initiatives committees have no work to report? It seems that way to me. It may be due to a delay in reports coming from the department, but a Minister should at least advise Members of a known delay. All we want is to be kept informed. Believe it not, Mr. Speaker, some of us over here do keep track of due dates and monitor the progress, or lack of it, in regard to reports.
I’m dismayed at my lack of access to Ministers in the last several months. Ministers seem to have been out of the office more than in it. For weeks before and after the Christmas break one could almost roll a bowling ball down the Executive offices hallway without encountering any resistance. Perhaps I exaggerate, Mr. Speaker, but it’s a concern for me when I have to struggle to find a Minister and get their attention to discuss an issue of importance to my constituents.
Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
I hope these impressions of mine are overstated, but even if they are, the Executive Council must take note and do some soul searching. At this point in our term we all need to stop and check our pulse, make sure the heart is still active and beating strongly. Both sides of this House should be working full tilt for the next 20 months. There’s lots we can do if we keep our nose to the wheel. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to speak today about the services and funding provided to businesses here in the Northwest Territories. During the business plan review of the draft main estimates in the fall, the Department of ITI stated that they were working toward a one-window system being in place for business-related services in every region.
Mr. Speaker, this is a very interesting statement for the department to make, considering the fact that the last government and this one to date have done nothing to move toward a one-window delivery model that numerous studies and reports have recommended. Is ITI going to be the authority in all of this? And what about the BDIC? I’ve asked many questions previously about the role, mandate and future of the BDIC. This becomes even more murky now that it looks as though ITI is moving toward a one-window approach without the BDIC.
Given current economic conditions, we need to be doing everything in our power to ensure what little support we have for businesses is getting into the right hands. Mr. Speaker, let me be frank: most departmental funding is not going into business creation or expansion. What little infrastructure that is in rural communities is old and outdated. There really has been little to no diversification of our economy in the past six years. Overall, business growth is negative. Manufacturing is in decline. Tourism products and sales are in serious decline.
Mr. Speaker, last year 15 clients received more than $100,000 in contribution financing from ITI. This accounted for two-thirds of the value of all ITI contributions. How many of these clients were private businesses? The answer, Mr. Speaker, is none. Mr. Speaker, not a single, solitary one. Then, Mr. Speaker, there’s the SEED program, ITI’s main business development program where less than one-third of all funding actually found its way into businesses. We need to be very, very concerned over these trends, Mr. Speaker.
In the backdrop to all of this is the BDIC. Eighteen months ago I called on the government to have a meaningful, comprehensive and coordinated suite of services for economic and business development in our Territory. We have not made any headway, Mr. Speaker. In fact, statistics do not lie. We continue to regress.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
I recently read a quote from an American legislator, Jim Collin, that I would like to leave you with: The signature of mediocrity is not an unwillingness to change. The signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we need a complete rethink of how we meet the energy needs of our residents and businesses. Messing about trying to tweak electricity rates to redistribute costs, reviewing yet again our Power Corporation with no creative guidance and ignoring community partnerships goes nowhere towards addressing our real problems and opportunities. A smart approach to meeting today’s energy needs can serve a range of important government priorities.
The unfortunate circumstances of depressed local economies, rising energy costs and impacts of environmental issues dictate the need for energy services that meet these issues head on. We need utility structures and energy strategies that reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, provide local economic and skill development and reduce our environmental impacts. Fostering partnerships with our communities and regional corporations to provide clean energy to meet total energy needs can achieve these goals while increasing affordability of energy, revenues to utilities and ability of the public to pay.
Times are changing and real leadership for progressive responses is required. We have studied small hydro development for years, but where is it? Small hydro, biomass and solar power will eventually meet many of our energy needs while serving broad government goals, but where is this reflected in any of our thinking on utility restructuring and capacity? We have made a few initial steps within government infrastructure, but where is any implementation on a community level? And where is the recognition and integration of these realities in any of the costly reviews we have underway?
The huge opportunities for increased energy efficiency are glossed over in our reviews. Where is the energy efficiency strategy, particularly electrical efficiency? The Arctic Energy Alliance has demonstrated that investment in converting electric hot water heaters to oil fired in thermal communities could save the NWT taxpayers and ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, and this is just one example. Moving to clean energy, electricity for heating and to power vehicles are increasingly strong global responses to climate change and fuel prices, but it takes foresight and planning to reap the benefits. Where is the recognition of these trends? Where is the time of day pricing policies commonly employed elsewhere to bring new system efficiencies, increased affordability and improved revenues to utilities?
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Mr. Speaker, NTPC is a government-owned provider directed by GNWT and we have not provided written guidance to them since 2005. A close look at our review work to date is not inspiring. It is my fervent hope that rather than getting stuck in the same mould approaches, we will clearly see the need for energy services that reflect our values, recognize our scales and serve our priorities within the realities of today’s challenges. Mr. Speaker, I will be asking questions of the appropriate Minister. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon, before lunch I had caribou stew.
Oooh.
Before I ate my caribou stew, my wife mentioned to me, she said, you know, this issue about the caribou, the specific area that there is a ban on hunting, this is what we are fighting about. You know, to have caribou in our life. This specific issue here is about this whole thing about our way of life, our food, and when I talked to several people over the weekend about caribou and asked how does it seem like on the radio in terms of this whole issue from this government, from this Legislative Assembly, most of the replies were that it’s not very good. It seems like the government is telling us what to do. It seems like they are telling us we have money and we should go to the store only and buy pork chops or steak or bacon. It seems like they don’t want us to eat our food; for what reasons, I don’t know.
So I want to talk about the issue of consultation in terms of coming to an agreement of what this government has done in terms of coming to an agreement to put this ban on. Certainly the Minister has some weight in terms of the conservation issue. It is in the agreements. I am not sure if the timing is right, because right now there seems to be a lot of resistance to this. I think it was bad timing. I think we should have had more consultation. As Mr. Hawkins has said, we should come to an emergency summit with the people of the Northwest Territories and have a real good discussion on it, look at all the factors. It should be something like that with the people of the Northwest Territories.
This issue is a very big issue in our communities. As one elder has told me, I wish I could come down to the government and speak to them right face to face on this issue; I’m so mad. So I think that if this government could come to an emergency discussion on this issue with the people of the Northwest Territories, I think we’ll have a win/win. Thank you, Mr. Speaker
