Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess it would be wrong of me to give a yes or no answer to the question because it will depend on a number of different factors such as need which will be of prime consideration as will the availability of resources. When the Iqaluit project was being undertaken, the financial climate was a little different. In other areas, they were able to access other types of funding. In Rankin Inlet, for example, it was done under a different project haven with totally federal dollars in it, you see, so I think any new proposals that come, we will have to examine the resources available and weigh the needs.
Debates of March 9th, 1992
Topics
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair James Arvaluk
Thank you. Mr. Nerysoo.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to ask if the Minister has given directions to his department to develop a policy to address the matter that was raised by Mrs. Marie-Jewell.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair James Arvaluk
Mr. Minister.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we are going to be looking at the overall way we do things in that area.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair James Arvaluk
Thank you. Mr. Nerysoo.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Thank you. I wonder if I could ask the question again. Is he going to review the matter of policy directly associated to providing infrastructure shelters for the
purposes of dealing with battered spouses or women and families?
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair James Arvaluk
Mr. Minister.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we will be examining this through the availability of several things, certainly any federal funding that is available to us, and existing territorial funding that may be available to us, and in addition to that, the needs and also the necessary group in the area to sponsor it.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair James Arvaluk
Thank you. Mr. Nerysoo.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to know how the department is able to find financing for a capital project of this type, a new project that will require future O and M, and does not have the financial capacity at this time to maintain programs in present facilities of this type. I can give you an example of an Inuvik shelter that is to be closed down because there is no financing for O and M costs, so I want to know how we were able to get money for a capital project of this type, find O and M money for a new facility, and not maintain the one in Inuvik.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair James Arvaluk
Mr. Minister.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Mr. Chairman, Nutaraq's Place was already in place and it had certain O and M dollars to run the existing facility. It was found very shortly after the facility became operational, that the need was greater than the facility could meet, and through a very ambitious fund-raising program the committee was able to raise a lot of private money to offset the additional costs that were incurred by moving this project forward. Some territorial dollars were accessed, but I think the O and M of it is basically the same. You know, the Member is right, that facilities and projects should not go ahead unless the operating dollars are secure.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair James Arvaluk
Mr. Nerysoo.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to ask again how we could possibly justify new buildings, additional funding, and consider closing down shelters that are presently in existence, by indicating to them there is no possible way we could find the O and M. I just want to know how the additional cost could be justified? I think it is very difficult for people in the Inuvik Region to be able to justify a project of this type, knowing that their facility is going to close down. I do not dispute the possibility of additional need because of the number of people who need this service, but if they are now being told -- that is probably the reason why the Inuvik situation has requested and required the additional requirement for this service. They are not only providing this service to Inuvik, they are providing it to communities like Fort McPherson, Arctic Red River and Aklavik, even some people from Tuk. I am kind of curious as to how we are able to justify the closing of those facilities and the building of new ones. It is a matter that the Minister is going to have to deal with, but I do not think he is going to find that Members will accept the idea of building facilities when you are closing other ones down.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair James Arvaluk
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
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Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do not believe we are closing facilities down at this point, at least not women's shelters. I think that there was limited funding in Inuvik for O and M, and although they are finding it tough to maintain full operation with that amount of money the department has not shut them down. What we are doing is attempting to find additional moneys for that operation. I hope I did not convey the idea that we would be simply building a facility without looking at the operating and maintenance arrangements and ensuring that was securely in place. That was not my intention. I think I was only addressing whether we would continue to look at needs and continue to look at new capital moneys to go along with a response to a need.
It is my intention to ensure that the O and M is secured for facilities, before groups are encouraged to go ahead and undertake a project like this. In the Inuvik situation, we are still looking to see where we can access funds to keep them operating.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair James Arvaluk
Mr. Nerysoo.
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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Mr. Chairman, could I ask the Minister and his officials whether or not he could also look into the matter of -- in determining the priority of a project -- whether or not they can indicate the number of communities that particular facility is intended to serve? With great respect, if the idea of a capital project is based on the amount of community support, the amount of community fund raising then I think that should be a criteria placed on all facilities. I do not think that is a basis on which you approve a capital project. It is based on need. I would ask to the Minister, if that is the criteria, that he should make that quite publicly clear to people so that everyone understands that that is the requirement.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair James Arvaluk
Mr. Minister.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair James Arvaluk
Mrs. Marie-Jewell.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha
Mr. Chairman, in looking at last year's capital budget and this year's capital budget, this Nutaraq's Place extension in Iqaluit for $89,000, requesting approval of the Assembly for the day, indicates in this year's capital budget that there was an expenditure of $446,000. Checking back to last year's capital budget there was no funding identified for it. For the record, I would like the House to be advised as to how this funding was identified.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair James Arvaluk
Mr. Minister, would you like to answer that question?
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Mr. Chairman, may I ask the honourable Member to clarify for me, if it was to identify where the $446,000 came from, or to identify where the $89,000 came from?