Debates of June 6, 2006 (day 6)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this spring Andrea Tsetta participated in the Youth Parliament and did a very good job representing Monfwi, I must say. Her statement was on a community break in Behchoko and her plea for bylaw officers to be established in the community. So, Mr. Speaker, I have some questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs regarding the need for bylaw officers in my communities.

Mr. Speaker, a lot of communities have complained that they are not being given enough funding to take care of everything that they are responsible for. How is the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs working with communities to make sure they are able to protect themselves and their property? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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

Return To Question 64-15(5): Need For Bylaw Officers In Tlicho Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe we have seven bylaw officers in the various communities across the Northwest Territories. We just did an evaluation on the situation, whether they have been making a difference or are they being effective in terms of community protection, and most of the communities have responded very favourably. We are at the same time, through our New Deal initiative, doing an evaluation of our O and M money, the operations and maintenance money that’s provided to the communities for community governance. We’re also reviewing the water and sewer subsidy, along with the new formula that will be incorporated into the community allocation for community capital and also the gas tax. There are a number of initiatives that are currently being evaluated and we are looking at all the different responsibilities that are factored into the formula for community governance. That includes security and safety that bylaw officers would fall under. So that review will be taking place. We should have some firm answers by the fall. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 64-15(5): Need For Bylaw Officers In Tlicho Communities

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The bylaw officers in the communities are 19 bylaw officers. Mr. Speaker, when the Minister was a Regular Member sitting on our side in 2001, he was concerned about the same issue that I’m raising here today, Mr. Speaker. He encouraged the Department of MACA and Justice to work together to help communities with community enforcement. So I would like to ask the Minister if such initiatives exist today and what is the department doing with community governments to identify the community bylaw enforcement that’s needed in the communities? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 64-15(5): Need For Bylaw Officers In Tlicho Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is asking a question that I raised a number of years ago. Mr. Speaker, we are reviewing how the communities are funded. The operations and maintenance for community governance is something that we are reviewing right now that allows communities to hire bylaw officers. I will have to confirm the number of bylaw officers we have out there. However, we are checking to see if this money is currently adequate for the communities and that’s something we won’t have answers on until sometime this fall, as I’ve indicated. I’m not able to confirm that any new monies will be coming to the communities at this point that will allow them to set their own priorities and if bylaw officers happen to be something that communities want to hire, that would be up to them. We do not have a program for bylaw officers right now. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 64-15(5): Need For Bylaw Officers In Tlicho Communities

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’m glad to hear that MACA, Municipal and Community Affairs, is reviewing the issue of safety and security in the communities and possibly securing some additional funds for the communities that’s adequately needed in the communities. Mr. Speaker, when you look at the whole issue, Behchoko does not have a bylaw officer in the community or even in the three outlying communities of the Tlicho region. In fact, there are bylaw officers in Tsiigehtchic and Tulita, just as an example. So the question to the Minister is, has the Minister looked into sitting down with the department of community government of Behchoko to deal with this important issue that we’re faced with on a daily basis? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 64-15(5): Need For Bylaw Officers In Tlicho Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s important to be very clear that MACA does not hire any bylaw officers. Bylaw officers are hired by the community governments, and that’s the case in the communities of Tsiigehtchic and Aklavik. The community of Behchoko decided that they no longer needed the service or could not afford the service. I’m not sure what the situation is. We are reviewing, again, the budgets for the communities and several communities have indicated that maybe the community government budgets are not sufficient anymore. We are looking at that. It would allow them to set their own priorities. If bylaw officers are something the communities want to hire, then that would be their decision. It’s not a decision of MACA. We are moving towards allowing all the decisions to be made by the community, including capital, and this is something that the communities…It would be up to them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 64-15(5): Need For Bylaw Officers In Tlicho Communities

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Minister for that answer, because the department is reviewing the budget and he stated that there’s some insufficient funds going to the communities. Actually that’s true for Behchoko. Behchoko is also in need of bylaw officers. It has been an issue this past year with the break and entering. So I’d like to ask the Minister if during the business planning process if that can be identified for Behchoko and the three outlying communities, that it’s necessary to have bylaw officers in the community. Although it’s block funded, but if they could work with the communities to identify that area. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 64-15(5): Need For Bylaw Officers In Tlicho Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I did not state that the communities were…the funding was insufficient. I stated that several communities have raised that issue. We are looking at reviewing the operation and maintenance funding for the communities, governance funding, and we can’t commit that we will identify bylaw officers as a specific initiative that needs to be funded outside of the block funding. We are moving towards more of a block funding, more giving the community more autonomy and letting them make their own decisions. If it does result in additional funding, that may allow more flexibility for communities to hire bylaw officers. That’s as far as I can commit to, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. At this time I’d like to recognize in the gallery Suzanne Pellerin from Hay River. Suzanne is doing lots of travelling these days back and forth. She’s doing French translation for the Department of Justice, actually.

---Applause

Anyone else in the gallery that wasn’t here when we did recognition of visitors in the gallery, welcome. It’s always nice to have an audience and I hope you’re enjoying the proceedings.