My question is, will the Minister reconsider this whole decentralization plan including the two worst-off regions in the plan?
Debates of Dec. 9th, 1992
Topics
Supplementary To Question 210-12(3): Kitikmeot And North Slave Regions Included In Decentralization
Question 210-12(3): Kitikmeot And North Slave Regions Included In Decentralization
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
Supplementary To Question 210-12(3): Kitikmeot And North Slave Regions Included In Decentralization
Question 210-12(3): Kitikmeot And North Slave Regions Included In Decentralization
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Mr. Pollard.
Further Return To Question 210-12(3): Kitikmeot And North Slave Regions Included In Decentralization
Question 210-12(3): Kitikmeot And North Slave Regions Included In Decentralization
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Speaker, I will not reconsider the decentralization plan that is before the House and that Cabinet is implementing at this particular time. Mr. Speaker, we believe we made the best decisions we could under the circumstances. I have said to the Member before, the hydro does not depend on whether or not a mining company decides to go and dig a hole in the ground. We know that Yellowknife is short of power. If that power can be produced by a Dogrib company that owns and operates those hydro dams, then the market is there. It just means working hard and making sure that those projects go ahead because the market is there. It is virtually a sure thing, Mr. Speaker, thank you.
Further Return To Question 210-12(3): Kitikmeot And North Slave Regions Included In Decentralization
Question 210-12(3): Kitikmeot And North Slave Regions Included In Decentralization
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Item 5, Oral Questions. Mr. Dent.
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Personnel. Mr. Speaker, earlier today I again raised my concern about the Department of Personnel's approach of dictating rates to the northern moving industry rather than negotiating them. My question is, can the Minister advise since this issue was raised in the House on September, 1992, if he has taken a personal involvement in the department's approach to negotiations with the moving industry?
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Mr. Kakfwi.
Return To Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
I do not know if you would call it negotiations, but I have been asked to be keet briefed on the discussions as they progress. I feel satisfied with the amount of movement that has been shown both by the government and the group of movers who have had discussions with our officials. Thank you.
Return To Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Item 5, Oral Questions. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.
Supplementary To Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a supplementary to the same Minister. Can the Minister advise if it is correct that Department of Personnel officials have been directed to implement only the originally proposed line haul rates?
Supplementary To Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Mr. Kakfwi.
Further Return To Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Mr. Speaker, originally the tariff that we had proposed to implement was designed along the federal government's removal tariff. This has been unacceptable to the movers, except for two moving companies which had no difficulty with the original proposed removal tariff. As a result of the call by the Member, we agreed to sit down and negotiate some changes. We have not made a final decision on a final tariff. We have not settled on the date when the new tariff would come into effect.
Further Return To Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Item 5, Oral Questions. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.
Supplementary To Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a further supplementary to the same Minister. These serious concerns continue with the process of negotiations here and the department officials seem to be unwilling to bend on the line haul rates. I recognize that there has been some compromise on other issues at the table. According to the industry sources those issues tend to be the minor ones in the business. The big issue is the line haul rates. Is the Minister willing to provide specific direction to his officials to adjust their position on the line haul rates and to enter into negotiations?
Supplementary To Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Mr. Kakfwi.
Further Return To Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 377
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Mr. Speaker, when we entered the year we indicated and were directed to find some way to provide cost savings in the area of removals by developing a new removal tariff. We had come up with a new tariff. We had projected our budget based on the idea that the new removal tariff would be implemented some time this year and we budgeted accordingly. The objective of the government is still to provide some savings by implementing a new tariff aside from the fact that it is necessary for both the industry and ourselves to have clear guidelines and procedures on how we are going to do business together. The department officials have been directed to come up with a tariff that would provide significant savings to the government. Because of the delay and the proposed changes the initial projected savings that we had hoped to get have diminished significantly. It remains more a political decision as to what is acceptable to the
Members of the Legislature and the Executive on what would be a reasonable compromise. I fail to see where the officials can do any more than they have already.
Further Return To Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 378
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Item 5, Oral Questions. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.
Supplementary To Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 378
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a supplementary to the same Minister. The Minister's answer to my last question leads me right back to the beginning. Since he says that his departmental officials have reached their limits, will he take a personal involvement in this issue to deal with it? If it has to be a political decision, will he take the steps to get involved and make that political decision?
Supplementary To Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 378
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Mr. Kakfwi.
Further Return To Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 378
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Mr. Speaker, what I am prepared to do is go back to the Executive with modifications to the original tariff that we had proposed. The modifications would be a result of the discussions we have had with the moving companies. I would be prepared to sit down with the Member before I do that to make sure that whatever I go forward with, in his view, is a reasonable approach to the situation. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Question 211-12(3): Minister's Personal Involvement In Negotiations With Moving Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 378
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Item 5, Oral Questions. Mr. Koe.
Question 212-12(3): Status Of Health Billings Dispute
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 378
Fred Koe Inuvik
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Health. Earlier in this session, we were advised and given documentation about the statement of claim between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government regarding health care billings. Can the Minister advise this House as to the status of this health care billings dispute?
Question 212-12(3): Status Of Health Billings Dispute
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 378
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Mr. Pollard.
Return To Question 212-12(3): Status Of Health Billings Dispute
Question 212-12(3): Status Of Health Billings Dispute
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 378
John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Speaker, we filed more than thirty days ago. The federal government was supposed to respond to us in federal court by last Friday. By last Friday they had not filed. These are the instructions we gave to our lawyers today: "In view of the fact that the Department of Justice has not filed a statement of defence, given a suitable explanation and undertaken filing within the time reasonable, under the circumstances, please take this communication as your instruction to note judgement against the defendant either final or interlocutory as the facts of the law may permit during the afternoon of Friday, December 11, 1992." In other words, Mr. Speaker, if they have not responded to us by that time, our lawyers will be going before the judge and asking for him to instruct them to pay us the $79 million. Thank you.
Return To Question 212-12(3): Status Of Health Billings Dispute
Question 212-12(3): Status Of Health Billings Dispute
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 378
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Item 5, Oral Questions. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.
Supplementary To Question 212-12(3): Status Of Health Billings Dispute
Question 212-12(3): Status Of Health Billings Dispute
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 378
Fred Koe Inuvik
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the amount we are dealing with still $79 million? Is that the projected deficit for health care billings?