Thank you, Mr. Chair. With our health budget being the largest budget within our government and most costs going to care and treatment and travel, I would like to ask the candidates running for Premier how do they specifically look at reducing these costs within our government for the 17th Assembly to increase the

quality of life in other areas so that more funding can flow to other programs, like I said, to increase the living of the people of the Northwest Territories and cut down our overall budget so we can benefit as Northerners. Thank you.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

The Chair Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Mr. Miltenberger.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There are two key areas in this particular matter and one of them I touched on my speech was looking for efficiencies in how we do things. We all have heard about the cost of missed appointments, the cost of travel arrangements where the patient doesn’t know or doesn’t come with the proper information, flies all the way down to Yellowknife and it has to be rescheduled because they weren’t ready, those types of things.

The other piece is the commitment we have to make as an Assembly and we do the business plans, is to start moving more money into prevention. If we agree that the target should be 2 percent of the budget into prevention, then we should start taking the steps, the word will go out to all the people listening, all the government people and health people, education people, that we want to focus on the prevention piece, and then we have to make sure that the prevention work we are doing is coordinated and it links between departments, with communities, so that the people we want to benefit – the children, the youth, the elders – in fact do receive the maximum value that money is going to be reallocated. But those four key things that are going to cut our costs in the long term – don’t smoke, don’t abuse alcohol, proper diet and exercise – are goals that I think will address the issues raised by Mr. Moses. Thank you.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

The Chair Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Menicoche.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. As we saw in our budget deliberations, we are not faced with massive cuts at all, but I am a firm believer of continuous improvement and about shifting budgets around. We can do that, but we actually have to guard against having our smaller communities impacted and hurt. We saw that in the

last Assembly when we went for change. It was easier to do it outside Yellowknife. I would guard against that.

At the same time, the consensus style of government we are talking about is about working with committees, and the last Assembly, if I refer too much there, it was about the best ideas did come from the committee structures; and whether Cabinet listened to them is another matter. But with commitment of working together and everybody working as a team, we can find those efficiencies, changes, and reallocate resources within departments. Thank you.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

The Chair Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The cost of health has been continuing to rise and not only in the Northwest Territories but all across Canada. In a lot of ways, it is unsustainable, but the cost of health is rising at about 67 percent and our formula agreement provides for a 3.5 percent increase.

I think that we have to find ways to change. Our health system is impacted by a number of pressures. We have a lot of medical travel, obviously, because a lot of the services we can’t provide in the Territories. We don’t have economies of scale. Drug use and costs are increasing. We have a shortage of professionals and, of course, we have chronic diseases. In order to find ways to reduce costs, we are talking about the Foundation for Change, which is to allow us to realign our health system so that we can be flexible with what is happening out there. I think it is more than money.

My colleague Minister Miltenberger talked about spending 2 percent on health prevention. I think that there is an old saying: a penny of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I really believe that. We have lifestyle issues. We have an aging population. We need to put more focus in that area. I think that we need to look at using more technology.

I think the fibre optics we talked about earlier will allow us to use more technology to be able to deal with the smaller communities. There is still a question of health professionals. Somebody mentioned yesterday that our people are dying out there, so we need to find a way to make sure that we get health care to the communities on a regular basis so that people can receive the services that are required. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

The Chair Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Dolynny.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

October 25th, 2011

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Fellow colleagues and brave Members applying for premiership: the cost of living. There is no doubt it

affects each and every one of us, north, south, small community, large community. It is something we have heard during the election. It is something we have heard for many years. We have heard today from many of you the decreased use of fossil fuel to decrease our electricity cost. We have heard of alternative energy sources to reduce these costs as well. We have heard about northern income tax changes that could be proposed. We have even heard about increasing our critical infrastructure. All of these could take years or decades to achieve.

I am asking you the question: what will you do in the next six months to see real change for our cost of living for all Northerners? Thank you.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

The Chair Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Menicoche.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. The cost of living is very prevalent in all of my communities. I believe that some of the initiatives that were undertaken – the Anti-Poverty Strategy, the review of the housing scales, and as well as some of the programming in Education, Culture and Employment – must be completed within six months. I believe that some of the ways that we can immediately help reduce the cost of living in all small communities and all the people that we have. Thank you.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

The Chair Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Miltenberger.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In point of fact, a lot of this work is already underway. I refer to the $60 million that we put forward as an Assembly to deal with the alternative energy piece of loan. As Minister McLeod indicated to the Energy Coordinating Committee that he is chair of, the things that were done, we have been converting government buildings to biomass. There has been a payback in some cases of just a few years. We have a wind project underway in Tuk. We have a Solar Strategy that has been developed. We have a very live geothermal pilot project in Fort Liard. We have a Greenhouse Gas Strategy that is going to look at how we can reduce our carbon footprint of things we have to do. We have changed our building standards. We are going to continue to look at the Ener-80 Guide and how that would be improved over time. We have also, as was pointed out, come up with an electrical rate review that significantly dropped the rate of power in the communities. We have to continue to focus on infrastructure, the roads, to make sure what we build is cost effective in terms of energy and continue to find or try to make sure we find money to continue those alternative energy initiatives that will allow us to keep that cost down, energy being one of the biggest costs. Thank you.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

The Chair Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. McLeod.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are quite a number of initiatives that this government is undertaking and could be undertaking over the next year.

I will talk about some of the initiatives that have already been started. We are talking about the rental scales. There is a Shelter Policy review being undertaken. There have been initiatives in the past where, no matter how we look at it, you are always better off if you work, so the rental scales have been set up so that if you work you are not penalized because you are living in public housing. That program was in place.

I think that a program of conservation is in place so that people that convert to products that use less energy, they get payback quickly and there are programs that provide assistance by the government.

I think the local economy, people growing their own food and vegetables helps reduce costs. This is something that as a government we are encouraging. In the last government, in the 16th Assembly, largely through the recommendation of the Small and Rural Communities committee, we doubled the contribution for harvesters, so harvesters can go out and harvest the country food. If you had to go and buy all your food at the local grocery store, we estimate that it would cost the government about $30 million. So that is something that we are encouraging.

The electricity review reduced cost in most of the small communities across the Northwest Territories, and also food mail. It is something that helps reduce costs. We want to make sure that it works properly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

The Chair Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Ms. Bisaro.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to say congratulations to all my colleagues here on your election and re-election, and congratulations to the three candidates for putting yourselves forward for the position of Premier.

I recognize and I hope that all my colleagues and the Members of this House recognize that this government, this Assembly, is representative of all people in the NWT, and that this government, we are here to help everybody in the NWT.

A search of history will show over time that this government has assisted many of our communities in the past, and I know most people are aware that I have a significant infrastructure problem in my community and particularly in my riding. I know and I’d like to advise Members that there has been a proposal that has gone from the City of Yellowknife

to this government, and the proposal is that a no- interest loan be given to the City of Yellowknife so they can complete the infrastructure renewal in the Northland Trailer Park.

I’d like to ask the three candidates how you would respond to that proposal were it from the City of Yellowknife or were it from another community such as Norman Wells.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

The Chair Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Menicoche.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I’m glad that Ms. Bisaro asked that question. There is some solution to their need. First of all I would have Cabinet review it and see how it can be supported. There are many different programs out there that can support our communities. Should there be room in our budget, I’m not too sure of the amount of loan that they’re talking about there, but should it be doable or even feasible I would then work within the committee systems to say, look, here’s one solution. There may be another one, but here’s one solution that we should consider and support and get support for the Executive Council to proceed with it.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

The Chair Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Miltenberger.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the current Finance Minister, of course I would be looking at that request very carefully. I would suggest to the Member that if there weren’t existing funds available to deal with that issue, we would collectively have to look at if the government has the capacity and flexibility and is going to get into the business of low-interest loans to communities how do we do that. How much would there be? Would it be affordable? Then we wouldn’t be able to approach this issue just on a one-off basis. We’d have to be very mindful of that. We’d have to work, of course the new Cabinet would look at that, then we would of course be coming back to all the Members to find out the best way forward, if that capacity was there. Given our tight financial circumstances, as I indicated, I’d be looking very carefully to see what we could do, if anything, in that regard.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

The Chair Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. I’d like to welcome the former MLA for Range Lake in the House for the 14th , 15th and 16th Assemblies, former Minister Sandy Lee. Welcome, Sandy.

---Applause

I’d also like to welcome the mayor of my home community of Tuktoyaktuk, Mr. Mervin Gruben. Welcome to the Chamber.

---Applause

Moving on, Mr. McLeod.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to think that we would deal with every community on the same basis. With the issue of Northland, this is a complicated issue because of the fact that it is a condominium association and is within the purview of the municipal government. Having said that, I think there is a recognition that if all of the water and sewage pipes all disappeared, then we would have a real problem on the hands of this government.

I think that there’s a number of avenues that we can proceed on. We’ve already supported the letter that was sent to the Government of Canada to try to access some federal funding to deal with the problem. Personally I’m supportive of the government looking at providing a loan guarantee. I think the condominium association has put together a proposal that the government can deal with. They’ve reduced the cost from, I forget what it was, I think it was $8 million, so now they’ve reduced it significantly. They’re looking for a loan guarantee of approximately $1 million. I think that’s something that Cabinet can look at.

I believe that the current process for loan guarantees is we have to come and get the support of the whole Legislative Assembly. Certainly that would be something that I would look to having dealt with very quickly in this new Assembly to bring it forward and get the support to make it happen.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

The Chair Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Hawkins.

Questions By Members
Election of the Premier

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Addictions have been a significant problem here in the North. I could speak at length about the problems and impacts it’s had in Yellowknife, but the truth is it really is a northern problem in all 33 of our communities. It’s a crying shame when you hear about this in our small communities like Tulita, Tuk, Wrigley, or even in Whati. Addictions, whether it’s drugs, gambling, alcohol, it steals the souls of good people whether they be young, families, communities – it destroys them.

My question to the Premier candidates is: What will you do as the Premier to commit to establishing an addictions treatment centre here in the North? Will you commit to a plan that sees action that an addictions treatment centre gets built within the mandate of this Assembly?

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