Mr. Speaker, in responding to oral question 7718 (3), I referenced the Bauer report and stated that I thought royalties received by the government of the Northwest Territories would be approximately $83 million a year. I have reviewed the Bauer report and the main estimates and would like to take this opportunity to correct the record. According to the main estimates, nonrenewable resource revenue for 20152016 was $58,346,000, and for the following year was $63,284,000. I apologize for any misunderstanding this may have caused. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise as the Minister responsible for Sport to congratulate three prominent athletes, all with ties to the Northwest Territories, who are competing for Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. On behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories and all of our residents, I am proud to speak today about Brendan Green, Jesse Cockney, and Kevin Koe.
Hay River’s Brendan Green will represent Canada in men’s biathlon events. Brendan was a member of Team NWT at the Arctic Winter Games in Yellowknife in 1998 and in Whitehorse in 2000. He has competed in the Canada Games in 2007 in both biathlon and cross-country skiing, where he won gold in the cross-country skiing event. As his career advanced, he reached the ultimate achievement in sport, appearances at the Olympic Games in Vancouver in 2010 and again in Sochi in 2014. Through his career, the Government of the Northwest Territories has been proudly supporting him through the High Performance Athlete Grant program going back to 2005. His hard work, dedication and commitment make him a strong role model for young athletes across the Northwest Territories.
Jesse Cockney started cross-country skiing in Yellowknife at age three. He carries on the proud family tradition in the sport. His father, Angus Cockney, a former TEST Skier was an accomplished artist, represented the Northwest Territories on a number of occasions and won two gold medals at the Canada Games in 1975. As Jesse continued to advance in his own career, he, too, reached the podium with three gold medals at the 2011 Canada Winter Games. He would go on to make his Olympic debut in Sochi in 2014. In addition to his rigorous training, Jesse takes the time to be actively involved in mentoring other young Indigenous athletes.
Kevin Koe. Kevin comes from the well-known Koe family of curlers, and got his start in the sport in his earlier days in Yellowknife. Kevin participated in the Arctic Winter Games in 1992 in Whitehorse and in 1994 in Slave Lake. He is a three-time Canadian champion and two-time world curling champion. I am sure the family is brimming with pride as Kevin attends his first Olympic Games as a member of Team Canada. While Kevin now makes his home in Alberta, we in the Northwest Territories still take pride in claiming him as one of our own.
Winter sports are natural to Northwest Territories athletes. Sports not only keep our residents healthy and strong, but they develop lifelong teamwork and leadership skills. We are proud of all of our athletes, and having three athletes from the Northwest Territories reaching this level of success is empowering. These are true role models for all Northwest Territories residents, from children to seniors, whether you’re a weekend warrior or a high-performance athlete.
It is with great pride that, on behalf of all residents of the Northwest Territories, I acknowledge the achievements of these Northern Olympians, and wish them great success in Pyeongchang. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our government committed to providing support for mineral exploration and the mining sector, and to support the territorial vision of land and resource management in accordance with the Land Use and Sustainability Framework. The proposed Mineral Resources Act will be a landmark, made-in-the-North legislation for our territory, and we are investing in its drafting with this degree of importance.
As we work to develop what will be the NWT’s first-ever homegrown mining legislation, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has completed its most extensive public engagement since devolution. The extent of our public engagement and the themes that emerged from it are highlighted in the "what we heard" report released last month in association with our government’s work and investment in the AME Roundup.
Our 120-day public engagement period closed on December 1st last year. In total, the department received 516 oral and written submissions from NWT residents, Indigenous governments and organizations, industry, NGOs, and stakeholders. Three hundred and twenty-eight people participated in one-on-one engagement sessions that took place in Fort Smith, Fort Simpson, Hay River, Inuvik, Norman Wells, Behchoko, and Yellowknife.
ITI’s engagement portal received over 2,700 visits. While the broad public engagement period is now closed, a second round of targeted follow-up meetings are now being held with key stakeholders, and close to 200 people, subscribed to the project’s newsletter, will continue to be informed of progress on this file.
As we advance through the drafting process, we will also continue to meet and work with the Inter-Governmental Council and reach out to key stakeholders and subject matter experts to ensure our bill is the best product possible and will meet the needs of NWT residents. Mr. Speaker, our engagement has sparked a great deal of discussion around royalties. It is undoubtedly one of many whole-of-government discussions we need to have as we take ownership and responsibility for our future post-devolution.
Royalties directly impact the profitability and viability of resource development projects in the NWT. While we must get the best deal possible for NWT residents, we must also remember that we are almost wholly reliant on these projects to protect the economic environment that we already have. Capturing the economic benefit of resource development for the people of the Northwest Territories is a serious matter, but we will not be reviewing our resource royalty regime as part of our work on this proposed act.
I can assure Members that we will have the discussion, and when we do, it will be in the context of a broad fiscal review that includes and considers our existing taxes and other revenue collection methods related to the mining sector. Mr. Speaker, what we heard during public engagement, along with a consideration of key elements, the results of our scoping exercise, cross-jurisdictional reviews, and policy research, will now guide and inform the development of the new Mineral Resources Act.
I look forward to working with Members of this Legislative Assembly as this process continues to move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, each week of this sitting, I am going to use one of my Member's statements to highlight one of Hay River's many non-profit organizations. With only five weeks left, I will barely make a dent, but it is worth starting to recognize those who make differences in our community. Mr. Speaker, whenever anyone visits Hay River, especially in the summer, they always comment on how beautiful it is. Of course, much of that is thanks to the natural landscape, but a debt of gratitude is also owed to the Hay River Beautification Committee. As the name implies, the beautification committee leads and promotes several initiatives to beautify public and private spaces around Hay River. If you happen to be walking or driving around town and you see some flowers or some art and you think, "Oh, that is nice," there is a good chance the beautification committee had a hand in it one way or another. The all-volunteer committee, with the help of residents, is responsible for the schools of decorative fish found on fences throughout town; the pots of flowers surrounding mailboxes; the wooden boats that are used as planters and teem with plants and flowers in the summer; the benches that line the walking trail along the river; and much more.
Perhaps what the committee is most known for is its annual “Yards in Bloom” competition, which encourages individuals and organizations to showcase their gardening skills. This encouragement has really paid off, and the effort that people put into their yards and gardens around Hay River, even if they’re not competing, is remarkable. Last year, there were 156 official entrants into the competition. Awards are given for the best yards in each of the six areas of town in the categories of either master or amateur gardener. There is also the Blooming with No Space award, the People’s Choice Award, and of course the Darm Crook Overall Winner.
In addition to aesthetic improvements to the community, the beautification committee also collaborates with other organizations to help the environment. For example, the committee teamed up with Ecology North to encourage the planting of flowers that support bees and to promote the important role bees play in our ecosystem. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to encourage the committee to keep up the good work and thank them for making the world a more beautiful place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, later this year cannabis will become legal in Canada. A lot of Canadians think it is about time. People have been smoking cannabis for years. Its impacts are minor compared to things like alcohol, and medicinal marijuana has been legal for some time now. For others, it is dangerous ground with potential risks for young people, public safety, health impacts, impaired driving. All of these concerns are important to carefully consider.
Canada will be the first G20 nation to legalize and regulate cannabis at the national level. How should it be regulated and managed? How do we make sure it is safe? How do we best take advantage of its economic potentials?
That potential is enormous, and that is the piece I want to talk about. It is estimated that, in BC alone, the illicit cannabis industry is worth $5 billion a year. After legalization, that kind of money will be available to be channelled into the public sphere, where it can help fund regulation, research, education, medical applications, and economic development. Because it is an entirely new system, when we design our regulatory system we must remember our mandate goals, in particular, our commitment to diversifying the economy. Some northern entrepreneurs have already made their case. They want to get into the cannabis business and are prepared to work with the government as partners moving forward. There are plenty of provincial models we can look to for examples of private retailing.
In Vancouver, over the past year, newly designed dispensaries are providing an enhanced customer service shopping experience for sales of cannabis products. They offer professional sales, expert-level product knowledge, and effective products. Even Nunavut is considering some level of private enterprise participation. They recognize that, with public oversight, there is potential for private sector benefits and efficiencies in the marketing of cannabis.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that, from the outset, our management regime should commit to the spreading of the wealth, permitting and encouraging private sector participation in this new industry. Private sector participation will not compromise responsible public oversight. I fear if we say, "well, we will do it later," then when later comes, consumers will be buying elsewhere and the prospect will be lost. Mr. Speaker, now is the time to make sure that we don't allow a valuable opportunity for economic growth and diversification to pass us by.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Finance at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Mr. Speaker, the 33 communities of the Northwest Territories are governed by a suite of territorial legislation made up of the Hamlets Act, the Charter Communities Act, and the Cities, Towns and Villages Act, all of which were enacted in 2003. Together, these statutes provide the legal authority for municipal operations in all of our communities.
The Cities, Towns and Villages Act, also referred to as the CTV Act, governs the larger communities in the Northwest Territories, including the City of Yellowknife. It provides the essential legal framework establishing a municipality and authorizing it to conduct business. It prescribes the roles and duties of the mayor, council members, and municipal employees. It sets out how records must be kept, the power of a municipality to enter into contracts, and its legal authority to own property.
The act also establishes the legislative powers of municipalities, setting out their authority to pass bylaws and placing limitations on that authority. It governs how a municipality must manage its financial affairs, including borrowing and debt management. As well, the act governs how a municipality must interact with members of the public, including provisions for public notice, voter petitions, and access to public places.
Mr. Speaker, our municipal governments do a big job. They ensure our citizens have access to vital front-line services. They keep the traffic moving, the water flowing, and they make sure our residents are safe and able to participate in programs that support vibrant community living. Municipalities need all the help they can get from this government. They deserve to operate with uptodate legislation that helps them get the job done in today's fastpaced world.
Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the City, Towns and Villages Act has not had the benefit of any comprehensive review or substantive updating since it was passed 15 years ago. The act is administered by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. During the review of this department's budget, Regular Members and the Standing Committee on Government Operations have repeatedly expressed deep reservations about the ability of this department to meet its own legislative agenda.
During the review of MACA's 20162017 Main Estimates, the deputy minister at the time acknowledged in this House that the legislation requires a lot of amendments, including those that have been requested by the NWT Association of Communities "over the years." Mr. Speaker, Members of this Assembly are growing increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of legislative change from this government. Above all, we are put here by our constituents to do the job of passing legislation. Let's get on with the CTV Act amendments, and let's get our cities, towns, and villages the help that they need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Regular MLAs and the public have heard almost nothing from our Cabinet colleagues on the issue of carbon pricing since the fall of 2017. On July 26th of last year, the Minister of Finance released a discussion paper and public comment closed on September 15th. A public survey was also conducted.
Although the discussion paper shows a heavy antitax bias, the right questions were generally asked in terms of taxes versus cap and trade, revenue use, sectoral distribution, implementation, and reporting. Where are the results of this public engagement? Here we are, five months later, and our government has not released a "what we heard" report. There has been no policy direction, no legislative proposal, nothing in the budget, and hardly a mention in the NWT Energy Strategy or the Climate Change Strategic Framework. What are we waiting for?
The federal government released proposed legislation for carbon pricing on January 15th of this year. Letters were also sent to all provincial and territorial Premiers setting a March 30, 2018, deadline for choosing the federal backstop or developing their own system to be in place by the end of 2018.
The federal carbon pricing system has two elements:
A charge on fossil fuels (for example, gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas), which would be paid by fuel producers or distributers.
An output-based pricing system for industrial facilities with high levels of emissions.
What will our government do with regard to carbon pricing? Does our government even believe in carbon pricing or climate change? There continues to be rumours of the NWT getting some kind of exemption, which this government has been pushing for all along. Has this government finally accepted our responsibility to address climate change with carbon pricing?
Since we've heard so little from our Cabinet on climate change, I will have questions later today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
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Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I spent many hours a couple of weeks ago listening to the testimony of Northerners at the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls hearing that was held here in Yellowknife. I want to congratulate everyone who decided to speak in public. It gave those of us listening an opportunity to hear from families directly affected by the loss of their family members and about the scourge of family violence.
Here are some of my takeaways. When her father murdered her mother, Lesa Semmler became an orphan for all intents and purposes after her father went to jail. The same was true for Jayda Andre's nephew. The loss of parents always creates profound sadness, but imagine living with the fact that the death was deliberate and committed by a family member.
Mr. Speaker, the testimony of these two women made clear the second element: that their families helped them to the best of their ability, but the victims didn't or couldn't access counselling. Part of the issue is how interrelated the small communities are and how divisive this kind of traumatic event. Jayda Andre said that she didn't want to counsellors in Fort McPherson because they were related to the killer. That's understandable, and other counselling options are a long way away -- here in Yellowknife.
A third takeaway for me is about the importance of helping children. Lesa Semmler was eight when her mother died, and Joni Andre's son was two. They need special attention to process what has happened to them and targeted learning about positive ways to deal with anger in order to break the cycle of violence. To the best of my knowledge, this program is offered only in Yellowknife, so it wouldn't have helped either of these children.
Mr. Speaker, my final takeaway is about the status of women in the NWT. There is no escaping the fact that abusive men are tolerated, and violence against women is tolerated. Despite the fact that the NWT has the secondhighest rate of family violence in the country, no new resources have been allocated to prevention and eradication, except for the men's healing program. While many women support this program because they see benefits for themselves, it doesn't help keep them safe when they are being attacked, and it doesn't help their children who grow up in violent homes.
Mr. Speaker, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls hearing provided the first public conversation about family violence in the NWT in decades. It was an important experience for those who witnessed it, and I hope it was constructive for those who spoke. I'm disappointed that no one from Cabinet attended until the closing ceremonies. I hope that isn't an indication of their willingness to implement the commission's recommendations when they come out later this year. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statement. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I would like to talk about a major issue that we are facing in the North. Many people suffer from mental health and addiction issues in the NWT. These issues affect not only the individual, but their family, friends, co-workers, and the community. It is one of the leading causes of disability affecting more than 6.7 million Canadians. It is also very costly to the justice, health, and education systems in the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, we do not have a northern addiction treatment facility in the NWT. Our members have the option to attend treatment centres down South, either in Alberta or British Columbia. This may not be feasible for all individuals; some examples may be those with one income, small children, elderly parents, or employment conflicts. The statistics show that, in 2016-2017, a total of 172 people from the NWT attended a southern treatment centre.
Mr. Speaker, in the North there are many alcohol-related crimes, but I believe that many of those could have been prevented. I would like to mention that a judge on the NWT Supreme Court wished that treating addictions was "more of a priority" in the NWT. A judge called for more resources to be dedicated to fight substance abuse in the territory during a sentence hearing February 17, 2017, relating to one of my constituents. Many of our northern residents have been criminalized for suffering with alcohol and substance-related issues. It is clear that we need far more resources in the North to address this major social problem.
Mr. Speaker, in addition, I would like to see the creation and implementation of on-the-land programs geared for our youth starting at the elementary school level. We can create a new mentality of examining and addressing addictions and mental health, and one which focuses on prevention, treatment, and understanding. Mr. Speaker, another aspect is to focus on the services offered to those incarcerated. Helping to truly rehabilitate, educate those individuals, and provide ongoing care and commitment: this could help establish successful individuals. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I regret to inform you that Sarah Jane McLeod passed away on October 12, 2017. Sara Jane Isaiah was known as well as Sally. She was born on September 27, 1933, in Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, to Eva Isaiah and Foster Browning.
Sally grew up in Aklavik as a ward of the church. She attended school there. As an adult, she returned to Fort Simpson, where she did odd jobs around the community before moving to Edmonton to work at the Charles Campsell Hospital. Later on, she returned to the North to work as a domestic worker for the family who ran the Forestry Department in Fort Liard.
There, she met her future husband, William Charles McLeod, who passed away previous to her. William had four children from his previous marriage, Frederick, Phillip, Mavis, and Ernest. Sally and Willie were married in 1953. They had nine children together; Angus, Ellen, Morris, Gladys, Ruby, Mabel, Kathie, Sharon, and Dolly.
Mr. Speaker, Sally had many talents. She was a wonderful seamstress and a fabulous cook. She made parkas and moccasins for her whole family, and they looked forward to receiving these. She sold parkas to the RCMP. She worked as a cook for local prisoners and various workers who came into town, then she decided to seek employment with the Hudson Bay Company. Later, she became the post mistress when the post office moved to the Northern Store. She held that position until she retired.
After retirement, she spent her time reading, doing crossword puzzles, and watching movies. Whenever somebody stopped by her house, there was always coffee, tea, and pilot biscuits. She was famous for having two candy dishes left for visitors. She was a caring, gentle, and soft-spoken lady whom I got to visit numerous times.
At age 70, Sara undertook the raising of her great grandchild Leona, who was just six months old. Sara was surrounded by her family in Fort Liard, as most of them still live there with their families. In her late years, Shayla, her granddaughter, would do her errands and make sure that her bills were paid and she had groceries. Various sons, daughters, and grandchildren were always visiting her and taking her on outings. Her son Angus took her berry picking just prior to her 86th birthday.
Christmas was a busy time for her. She would make sure each and every one of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren had something special. You think you knew her. All through the years, her children bought her Elvis memorabilia, and she would display this throughout the house. Just recently before she passed away, she commented, "I don't know why my family keeps buying me so much Elvis stuff. I don't like him." Sara Jane McLeod passed away surrounded by her family. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs well knows the issue of the outstanding amendments to the Cities, Towns and Villages Act, earlier in the day in my Member's statement quoted one of her officials from a business plan review for 2016-2017. I would like to ask the Minister today: what progress has been done since that review on updating the Cities, Towns and Villages Act? Thank you.
Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have come to learn that change in legislation does take a little bit more time than I would like to think it does, so it takes a lot of stakeholder engagement, a lot of writing, et cetera. What progress have we made? We have actually met with the six tax-based municipalities that would be affected by the CTV Act to look at things like the energy retrofits. We've also talked about the hotel tax levy with them. On the note of the hotel tax levy, we've had to meet with other stakeholders, so we have met with the Northwest Territories and the Regional Chamber of Commerce. We've met with the Hotel Association. From those stakeholder engagements, then, we move forward, and so we're in the process right now of drafting our proposal, which will be submitted in March coming up here next month, and from there we're looking at implementing our first bill to be presented in the May/June sitting. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the stakeholder engagement that's gone into this. The Association of NWT Communities has recommended these changes and other changes in the legislation for, I think, a decade now, so it's nice to see the department moving forward. I'm wondering if there's any possible way that the Minister can move up the timeline? The reason I ask, Mr. Speaker, is the City of Yellowknife is depending on some of these changes so they can afford their tourism operation. I just don't want to be put in the situation where we're not able to give the City of Yellowknife this legislative change and they are forced to raise taxes in order to support tourism operation, which is, of course, something that this government takes very seriously. Is there any way we can move the legislative proposal up to this sitting so the standing committee can get a look at it before waiting for May/June?
As stated at the beginning, I didn't realize that changing legislation takes as long as it does take. I often wish I could get them all off of my desk, but I realize it takes time. We are on a timeline that was submitted a year ago. We are on the timeline that was submitted just before the sitting. The proposal will be put in, in March. I can't move it any faster than the process takes, so the bill will be introduced to standing committee in May/June, and hopefully standing committee won't take as long and we will be able to get that off and rolling.
I'll just remind the Minister that the changes that the department has narrowed down and has been consulting on have been recommended by Regular Members every year. So I can speak for the standing committee now that, if the legislative proposal contains the exact same recommendations that we've been making, we're pretty good to go with it. So, again, will the Minister expedite this matter? My concern is: we need to meet the timelines. I represent the riding here in Yellowknife. I'm looking out for my constituents, and I want to make sure that they're not burdened by the inability of this legislative proposal to move forward in a timely fashion, and it's going to impact the City of Yellowknife's budget. They're paying for
I think the Minister heard your question, so I'll allow the Minister for Community Affairs to respond.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am trying to move it as quickly as possible. I haven't been here for 10 years. So I don't know what happened 10 years ago, but I do know that we've been working at it hard. I don't trust that 10 years ago the stories that were put out there are the same as today. For example, when we talked to the Tourism Association, we learned that tour packages have already been sold for this year. That impacts the bill and the timing of this. So there were considerations. We had to go out for stakeholder feedback, and so I am really appreciative of the department for actually doing that work. Again, we will move the process as soon as possible. It will be introduced in the May/June sitting, and as soon as we get the process approved, we will be moving it forward, but we can't move any faster than the process takes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I'm sure you can tell, I'm passionate about this issue. It's long overdue. In addition to these changes that are being proposed, these minor changes to the CTV, has this allowed the department to look at other outstanding changes and consult on other issues with the CTV Act? It's a big piece of legislation. Is the Minister contemplating any other changes to the CTV Act? Thank you.
The CTV Act that we're looking at changing will be for the hotel tax levy and for the energy retrofits that the Municipality of Yellowknife wanted to push forward. So I do appreciate the words of the honourable MLA that's stating that he doesn't project it would be taking long with standing committee. I'm not sure if he represents the voice of all the standing committee in the House here today, but if I could get that in writing that they have no issues, that they don't need to review it, that it can go as stated, then I will take that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as most people, Members, we end up with issues that are related to people's issues with the Power Corporation and that, or Housing Corporation and, you know, arrears and that. So my questions today are for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. Mr. Speaker, what policy or procedures does the corporation follow when they have overdue accounts? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
