Debates of Oct. 2nd, 1992

This is page numbers 1291 - 1340 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairman.

Topics

Members Present
Item 1: Prayer
Implementation Plan
Reconstruction Of Highway #3 To Yellowknife
Member's Statement Regarding C.b.c. Commentary On Charlottetown Accord
Contributions Of Mackenzie Delta Residents
Government's Response To Proposed Airline Merger
Hon. J. Arvaluk's Visit To Sahtu
T.f.n. Land Claim Ratification
T.f.n. Ratification Committee Tours
T.f.n. Ratification Committee Tour
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
Question O912-12(2): Legislation On Solvent Abuse
Question O913-12(2): Negotiations On Block Funding Agreement
Question O914-12(2): Recognition Of Metis As Distinct, Aboriginal People
Question O915-12(2): Economic Plan For Yellowknife
Question O916-12(2): Shortage Of Supplies For H.a.p. Owners
Question O917-12(2): Use Of Humane Traps
Question O918-12(2): Planning Strategy For Regional Councils
Question O919-12(2): Travel By Court Circuit
Question O920-12(2): Strategy For Social Housing
Question O921-12(2): Department Of Education Human Resource Plan
Question O922-12(2): Cost For Travel To Appear In Court
Item 8: Replies To Opening Address
Item 12: Tabling Of Documents
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
To Adopt Recommendation No. 86
To Adopt Recommendation No. 87
To Adopt Recommendation No. 88
To Adopt Recommendation No. 89
To Adopt Recommendation No. 90
To Adopt Recommendation No. 91
To Adopt Recommendation No. 92
To Adopt Recommendation No. 93
To Adopt Recommendation No. 97
To Adopt Recommendation No. 94
To Adopt Recommendation No. 95
To Adopt Recommendation No. 96
To Adopt Recommendation No. 82
To Adopt Recommendation No. 83
To Adopt Recommendation No. 84
To Adopt Recommendation No. 85
To Adopt Recommendation No. 29
To Adopt Recommendation No. 30
To Adopt Recommendation No. 68
To Adopt Recommendation No. 69
To Adopt Recommendation No. 70
To Adopt Recommendation No. 31
To Adopt Recommendation No. 33
To Adopt Recommendation No. 34
To Adopt Recommendation No. 35
To Receive Response Of Review Of 1992-93 Main Estimates Within 120 Days
Bill 33: Appropriation Act, 1992-93
Committee Report 20-12(2): Interim Report No. 2 Of The Special Committee On Health And Social Services
To Adopt Recommendation From Committee Report 20-12(2)
Item 19: Report Of Committee Of The Whole
Bill 33: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1992-93
Bill 34: Supplementary Appropriation Act, 1992-93
Bill 34-12(2): Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1992-93
Revert Back To Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
To Amend The Schedule To Bill 34
Revert Back To Item 19: Report Of Committee Of The Whole
Bill 34: Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 2, 1992-93
Revert To Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
Revert To Item 12: Tabling Of Documents

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

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The Chair Richard Nerysoo

Thank you. Total department, not previously authorized, $859,000. Agreed?

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

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The Chair Richard Nerysoo

Thank you. N.W.T. Housing Corporation, capital, N.W.T. Housing Corporation, special warrants, $5.359 million. Mr. Dent.

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was wondering if we could get a listing of which communities are receiving H.A.P. units, broken down by community. You could provide that to the Standing Committee on Finance in writing. Also, another question is, are H.A.P. units over designed, as it has been alleged in the press recently.

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The Chair Richard Nerysoo

Thank you. Madam Government Leader.

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Chairman, on the information that has been requested in terms of the listing of the units per community, we can provide that to the Standing Committee on Finance.

In reference to the question regarding the Housing Corporation and whether it is our view that the housing units are over designed, I would defer that question to the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation.

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The Chair Richard Nerysoo

The Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Morin.

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are presently looking at re-designing the H.A.P. units. We are having a workshops in both the east and the west to redesign the units. I am not convinced that we can buy, as the Member referred to the press, he must be referring to the statement by one local architect, saying you can build two for the price of one. I completely disagree with that. We can get a better bang for our dollar by having a little bit of imagination, I believe, and we will do that along with the private sector. Thank you.

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The Chair Richard Nerysoo

Thank you. Any other questions? N.W.T. Housing Corporation, special warrants, $5.359 million. Agreed?

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

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The Chair Richard Nerysoo

Thank you. Total department, special warrants, $5.359 million. Agreed?

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

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The Chair Richard Nerysoo

Thank you. Culture and communications, capital, museums and heritage, special warrants, $115,000. Mr. Dent.

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. At the committee, we had some concern over the rationale for a special warrant to contribute $150,000 to this friendship centre. Was this not a project that we knew about in advance? Why is this coming up as a special warrant? Why was it not included in the capital budget? It is not as if this is a brand new project that just got started this summer.

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The Chair Richard Nerysoo

Thank you. Madam Government Leader.

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Chairman, the expenditure was not planned. This was a special request so that they can include the cultural centre, as the Member knows, that the community is highly commended for the type of program that they have put into Rae-Edzo and the amount of money they were able to raise on their own, and the special arrangement with the contractor. There was some difficulty in concluding the project, because of some particular problems they had in having to have extra expenditures, because of the electrical and heating systems, so this was unanticipated by them and unanticipated by us. They requested special funding, so this was in response to their request to conclude the friendship centre. It was not something that was anticipated by them and it was not anticipated by ourselves.

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The Chair Richard Nerysoo

Thank you. Mr. Dent.

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess the committee can understand a cost overrun of some thousands of dollars, but it just seems that $150,000 is a fairly extensive overrun, if you will, or change in plans, or change in financing, and with this sort of change, maybe it represents a change in priority for the government. Does this represent a precedent if you will, so that all communities, if they have situations and they are going to be $150,000 short for something, should proceed to start building it, and then come in and ask the government for the money.

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The Chair Richard Nerysoo

Thank you. Madam Government Leader.

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Chairman, this contribution or request was considered under an established program, under Culture and Communications and there is a certain amount of funding in there, in that one, in that section, and this is not to say that only the Rae-Edzo Friendship Centre would be considered and within established guidelines, anyone else can seek support. People do not always get it. This is not the only request we have, I think there have been several, but this one warranted, in terms of their proposal, a positive response because of the proposal they put forward. It is not an extra special thing that they are under an established program that they had applied for this.

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The Chair Richard Nerysoo

Thank you. Mr. Dent.

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do not think that my concerns have been totally answered. For the record, I would like to make it clear, that I am not critical of the Rae-Edzo Friendship Centre and say good on them if they are able to talk the government into getting some extra money. I do think that it will open the door for all sorts of requests, and if that is the case then, the government is going to have to be careful that dollars are apportioned fairly. That was one of the things that the Standing Committee on Finance was supposedly set up to look after, so I think it is a situation that the government should be very careful about capital funds to different projects.

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The Chair Richard Nerysoo

Thank you. Mr. Gargan.

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Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Mr. Chairman, I also understood, with regard to friendship centres, I thought this was the responsibility of the Secretary of State. The other thing, is that there is also a proposal that is coming, with regard to the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre. I was just wondering, are we looking at two different programs, or I am correct in saying that those types of programs are usually done by the Secretary of State?