Debates of June 2, 2006 (day 4)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a lot of our smaller communities, you know, and our elders and people with respiratory ailments like asthma, the coming of summer means the coming of dust; the lack of dust control in these small communities. With the recent removal of $738,000 for dust control from the Municipal and Community Affairs main estimates it bereaves me to tell these people that, hey, you know what, the dust control issue is no longer a Municipal and Community Affairs priority. It probably never has been under control. The government has spent numerous amounts of dollars looking at ways to control the dust in the smaller communities. I want to ask the Minister, whose ultimate responsibility is dust control now in our smaller centres? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 46-15(5): Delivery Of Dust Control Programs For Small Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the responsibility for dust control in the communities lies with the community governments. The community government formula includes responsibility for that portion. We have in the last while included in our business planning some work to do an analysis of what type of materials would be best used in terms of application for dust suppressant and I’m pleased to announce that we have an increase in our budget of $156,000 for this coming year. We are also continuing to work on our Main Street Chipsealing Program. There’s been eight communities involved in the plan. We’ve finished the work in four communities and we continue to move forward on that front. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 46-15(5): Delivery Of Dust Control Programs For Small Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have a problem with the community governments taking over their own dust control issues. Is this government going to provide an adequate amount of funding to these community governments to address their dust control issues? Through the EBA report on dust control, there’s a lot of recommendations in that report, and is the government going to implement some of those recommendations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 46-15(5): Delivery Of Dust Control Programs For Small Communities

Mr. Speaker, the study was done for the use of the communities and there is some new monies included in this year’s budget to do additional work in terms of studying what would be the appropriate dust suppression to use. However, to the actual cost of what the community may decide to move forward on, whether it’s chipsealing of the whole community or calcium, that would be the community’s responsibility, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 46-15(5): Delivery Of Dust Control Programs For Small Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I don’t have a problem with the communities assuming control of their municipal and community affairs, but is the government going to provide any money? Mr. Minister, if you could just tell me straightforward, is the government going to flag money to these communities to say okay, here’s $100,000 to address your dust control issues? Is that in the works, or is this coming out of these Northern Strategy dollars, which is for capacity building or for recreation or for youth development, not dust control? That wasn’t included in the Northern Strategy, as far as I know. How are these communities going to address these dust issues without money? Is the government going to provide that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 46-15(5): Delivery Of Dust Control Programs For Small Communities

Mr. Speaker, we provided a number of different sources of money to the community that we are moving in a process where the communities will make their own decisions, and that includes dust control. We’ve provided money through the Northern Strategy to each community. We’ve included a new formula for capital. There is also gas tax that will start flowing to the communities. All these new dollars available allows the community to decide how they want to deal with dust control. We are not going to create another budget for dust control. We have some resources that we’ve allocated for this year to do further analysis to help the communities to decide where they want to go and what would be appropriate. Further than that, the communities are going to have to start spending their own money. We have turned over all the pots of money to the communities for them to decide, to make their own decisions. So that’s where they’ll have to get it from, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 46-15(5): Delivery Of Dust Control Programs For Small Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, you know, I don’t think we really have to study the dust issue to death here because, you know, the EBA report on dust control is very well done, as far as I’m concerned. But again, these Northern Strategy dollars, these gas tax dollars, all these sources of money that the government has offloaded on the community to tell them to spend it any way you want, you know, I don’t see anything in any of these spending requirements that mentions anything about dust and that it’s your responsibility all of a sudden. The dust control has always been a government responsibility in the past and now, all of a sudden, it’s taken off the books because of all this money that’s…

What’s your question, Mr. Villeneuve? Do you have a question?

Why is that, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 46-15(5): Delivery Of Dust Control Programs For Small Communities

Mr. Speaker, the issue of dust control has always been the responsibility of the community government. It has been built into the community government operational funds; it’s something that’s allocated on an annual basis. The community decides their budgets. If the community decides not to spend it on dust control, that’s their decision. We have recently moved into transferring the dollars to the communities in different areas so that the communities can make their own decisions. There is more money flowing now for communities to work with on what their challenges are than there ever has been in the last while.

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Dust control can be accommodated in the community capacity fund, it can be accommodated in the new gas tax money, they can pave the whole community if that’s what the community desires. If there is a problem and they want the government to carve a portion out of it, for us to tell the communities how to do it, that’s not something we want to do anymore. The community has to decide where they want to spend the money. The tools are in their hands, they can make those decisions. Thank you.