Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I want to direct my question to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Could the Minister give me an update on the status of the cash flow problem that the hamlet of Rae-Edzo was having?
Debates of Feb. 27th, 1992
Topics
Question O191-12(2): Hamlet Of Rae-edzo Cash Flow Problems
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 172
Question O191-12(2): Hamlet Of Rae-edzo Cash Flow Problems
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 172
The Speaker
Mr. Minister.
Return To Question O191-12(2): Hamlet Of Rae-edzo Cash Flow Problems
Question O191-12(2): Hamlet Of Rae-edzo Cash Flow Problems
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 172
Dennis Patterson Iqaluit
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The honourable Member raised urgent questions in the last session of the Assembly about a surplus ground water problem that had strapped the municipality in its water system and resulted in financial problems. I was pleased that just after the session ended, arrangements were made for the Housing Corporation and the Department of Education to make contributions for the extra water and sewer requirements which had flowed from buildings they owned in Rae. My understanding is that those cash contributions have resolved the financial crisis that the honourable Member was concerned about when this matter last came up in the House. So my understanding is that the
hamlet is now back on a better footing.
Return To Question O191-12(2): Hamlet Of Rae-edzo Cash Flow Problems
Question O191-12(2): Hamlet Of Rae-edzo Cash Flow Problems
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 173
The Speaker
Supplementary, Mr. Zoe.
Supplementary Question O191-12(2): Hamlet Of Rae-edzo Cash Flow Problems
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 173
Henry Zoe North Slave
Mr. Speaker, could the Minister review with this department as to what is exactly going on with the cash flow of Rae-Edzo? Because my understanding is that the Housing Corporation and Public Works are disputing their accounts. I do not think it has been fully resolved.
Supplementary Question O191-12(2): Hamlet Of Rae-edzo Cash Flow Problems
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 173
The Speaker
Mr. Patterson.
Further Return To Question O191-12(2): Hamlet Of Rae-edzo Cash Flow Problems
Supplementary Question O191-12(2): Hamlet Of Rae-edzo Cash Flow Problems
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 173
Dennis Patterson Iqaluit
Mr. Speaker, I will be happy to review that again.
Further Return To Question O191-12(2): Hamlet Of Rae-edzo Cash Flow Problems
Supplementary Question O191-12(2): Hamlet Of Rae-edzo Cash Flow Problems
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 173
The Speaker
Oral questions. Mr. Lewis.
Question O192-12(2): MLA Involvement In Changes To The Plebiscite Question
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 173
Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre
Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Rights and Constitutional Development. He has indicated publicly on CBC today that he is prepared to allow some changes to the plebiscite direction, at least the question in it, if we can evolve some process. What does the Minister have in mind to involve Members of this Legislative Assembly in examining this question?
Question O192-12(2): MLA Involvement In Changes To The Plebiscite Question
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 173
The Speaker
Minister of Constitutional and Aboriginal Affairs, Mr. Kakfwi.
Return To Question O192-12(2): Mla Involvement In Changes To The Plebiscite Question
Question O192-12(2): MLA Involvement In Changes To The Plebiscite Question
Item 5: Oral Questions
February 26th, 1992
Page 173
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Mr. Speaker, when I did these interviews yesterday, I remembered about 11:00 last night -- I guess it sort of hit me that I never finished the last part of the sentence on two occasions during the interview. In the interview I started out really well...
---Laughter
...that technically the Legislature, of course, has the political power to force a change to the wording of the plebiscite question. But politically it is almost impossible or unwise to tamper with it. I thought it was important to indicate that you can do that.
There are a couple of things that should be brought to people's attention here. One of the things is that the TFN agreement in principle was initialled in December, and before they initialled off, TFN was quite insistent that the plebiscite issue was sort of put to bed, resolved, so they could go into finalizing their claims package, knowing that Article 4, that part of the claim that deals with the creation of Nunavut, was clear. So as a cabinet we had dealt with the draft question in November, with the understanding that it had to be addressed quickly in order to meet the deadlines that TFN had set for themselves and meeting the commitments that we had made, relative to the spirit of Article 4 of the TFN agreement.
It should be mentioned as well that during the last Legislative Assembly, last summer in July, when the whole question of division and the creation of the Western Constitutional Commission came up, the Executive was mandated by this Legislative Assembly to proceed with the plebiscite. When we dealt with the Plebiscite Act and making amendments to it, at that session, there was a provision in the Plebiscite Act which provided for -- I think in 1985 it made it explicitly clear that the Legislative Assembly at that time was going to draft the question. In July, that provision was removed because it was outdated, and I think Members at that time felt -- knowing that TFN was going to be trying to finalize their claim in the early fall and they would be calling for a plebiscite in the early fall --that the Executive would be mandated to draft the question to deal with the plebiscite question.
That is the background to it. I wanted to make it clear that technically, politically you can have -- if there is a massive call for redrafting the question, we would have to adhere to it. I must draw to your attention -- with the best of intentions the government had made a commitment to TFN, as an aboriginal organization, in trying to help in finalizing their claims package -- that we made a commitment to them and I think we are politically bound very strongly to that.
Return To Question O192-12(2): Mla Involvement In Changes To The Plebiscite Question
Question O192-12(2): MLA Involvement In Changes To The Plebiscite Question
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 173
The Speaker
Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.
Supplementary To Question O192-12(2): Mla Involvement In Changes To Plebiscite Question
Question O192-12(2): MLA Involvement In Changes To The Plebiscite Question
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 173
Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister: Since several Ministers in this House, in fact, voted in favour of a plebiscite in Norman Wells in 1988, and at that time there was a proviso that our support for going ahead with this depended upon a number of conditions made by Members of the Legislature before they could support a question being put to the people of the Northwest Territories, is the Minister prepared to include those definite preconditions before we were prepared to accept that this plebiscite question be put to the people of the Northwest Territories with regard to cost, with regard to levels of service, and with regard to whatever capital infrastructure will have to be spent by the federal government for this to go ahead?
Supplementary To Question O192-12(2): Mla Involvement In Changes To Plebiscite Question
Question O192-12(2): MLA Involvement In Changes To The Plebiscite Question
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 173
The Speaker
Mr. Kakfwi.
Further Return To Question O192-12(2): Mla Involvement In Changes To Plebiscite Question
Question O192-12(2): MLA Involvement In Changes To The Plebiscite Question
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 173
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Mr. Speaker, the general conditions under which most political leaders of the Western Arctic have indicated they would support division have been fairly consistent and fairly clear since 1980-81. Those conditions were that the constitutional future of the residents of the western territory would be fairly secure -- those are my own words -- before division would proceed. There would be some assurance that the level of service that is provided for people, that they are accustomed to, would not be adversely affected or disrupted in any major way. Also, a more recent arrival to the scene was the growing concern for the well-being of our government workers, that they would not be unfairly dealt with if division should occur. Those have been fairly consistent, and I think we have already taken those into account in drafting the question. They are provided in the preamble. Thank you.
Further Return To Question O192-12(2): Mla Involvement In Changes To Plebiscite Question
Question O192-12(2): MLA Involvement In Changes To The Plebiscite Question
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 173
The Speaker
Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.
Supplementary To Question O192-12(2): Mla Involvement In Changes To Plebiscite Question
Question O192-12(2): MLA Involvement In Changes To The Plebiscite Question
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 173
Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since the preamble to the division question contains three selling points to promote a "yes" response to this question, presumably because it was at the request of TFN, would the Minister undertake to also include the guarantees that the people in the West have asked for, for a long time, that if this question is going to be supported by Members that we have those guarantees in that
question, or get rid of all preambles to the question so that we would not have any difficulty with our constituents who believe that we supported this on an understanding that in the West we would not have to pay for whatever consequences may emerge as a result of this question being supported by the majority of the people of the Northwest Territories?
Supplementary To Question O192-12(2): Mla Involvement In Changes To Plebiscite Question
Question O192-12(2): MLA Involvement In Changes To The Plebiscite Question
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 174
The Speaker
Mr. Kakfwi.
Further Return To Question O192-12(2): Mla Involvement In Changes To Plebiscite Question
Question O192-12(2): MLA Involvement In Changes To The Plebiscite Question
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 174
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Mr. Speaker, I wonder how extensively we can go into these questions, because it is an issue that is in front of the committee of the whole. The plebiscite direction proclamation is tabled and is presently on our agenda in committee of the whole. I do not mind continuing here, but whether it should be continued or not --I can do that, but -- I guess I answered my own question.
I am of the view, and I think everybody should be, that this is not about wondering whether division will happen or not. We are going on the assumption that the call for division was answered in 1982. A plebiscite at that time said that the people of the North support division. This plebiscite is asking, based on the assurances in the preamble, are you going to support this particular line as a boundary for division? This is what it says. If it seems to be in the affirmative, it is perhaps not unlike some people's thinking; but it is trying to take a positive slant to what is going to be a very historic event. Thank you.
Further Return To Question O192-12(2): Mla Involvement In Changes To Plebiscite Question
Question O192-12(2): MLA Involvement In Changes To The Plebiscite Question
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 174
The Speaker
If I could just clarify. Although in parliaments it is tradition that normally if something is before committee of the whole questions are normally not asked, our experience in this particular House, is that oftentimes documents before committee of the whole can stay before the committee for weeks and sometimes not even be dealt with. So in order to allow free flow of discussion, I am allowing those questions to be asked unless the document in question is being actively discussed in committee of the whole. Oral questions. Time has expired for oral questions. Item 6, written questions. Mr. Nerysoo.
Question W10-12(2): GNWT Guidelines For Northern-owned NWT Sawmills
Item 6: Written Questions
Page 174
Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question to the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism:
1) Has the government issued any instructions to government departments regarding the purchase of lumber products from the Hay River Sawmill that was recently purchased by the Northwest Territories Development Corporation?
2) Will the same purchasing rules and guidelines apply to all northern-owned sawmills in the NWT?
3) Will the Government of the Northwest Territories support the purchase of the other sawmills in the NWT?
4) Will the government requirements for kiln-dried lumber be applicable to the Hay River Sawmill as they were previously required for northern sawmills, including the sawmill in Fort Resolution?
Question W10-12(2): GNWT Guidelines For Northern-owned NWT Sawmills
Item 6: Written Questions
Page 174
The Speaker
Written questions. Mr. Pudluk.
Question W11-12(2): Meeting Of Canadian Coast Guard Officials
Item 6: Written Questions
Page 174
Ludy Pudluk High Arctic
(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is directed to the Government Leader, and it is concerning Arctic Bay. NTCL usually meets with the hamlet council of Arctic Bay on which way they can travel in the winter or summer. They usually meet with the hamlet council. Would the Government Leader please find out if the meeting of Canadian Coast Guard officials regarding the seasonal route for transportation of ore from Arctic Bay to Nanisivik, which is scheduled for March 17 in Nanisivik, can be relocated to Arctic Bay?
Question W11-12(2): Meeting Of Canadian Coast Guard Officials
Item 6: Written Questions
Page 174
The Speaker
Written questions. Written questions.
Item 7, returns to written questions. Returns to written questions.
Item 8, replies to Opening Address. Replies to Opening Address. Item 9, petitions. Mr. Arngna'naaq.
Item 9: Petitions
Item 9: Petitions
Page 174
Silas Arngna'naaq Kivallivik
Mr. Speaker, I wish to take up my five minutes from yesterday's petitions.