This is page numbers 211 - 238 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 6th 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 information.

Supplementary To Question 103-12(6): GNWT Policy On Non-payment Of Bills By Contractors
Question 103-12(6): GNWT Policy On Non-payment Of Bills By Contractors
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 217

Titus Allooloo Amittuq

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have a case in my constituency where the local hotel was not paid and has not been paid for a number of years. Does the government have a policy whereby, if the company does not pay and that company has northern preference or local preference, the government is able to take that preference away? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 103-12(6): GNWT Policy On Non-payment Of Bills By Contractors
Question 103-12(6): GNWT Policy On Non-payment Of Bills By Contractors
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 217

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Further Return To Question 103-12(6): GNWT Policy On Non-payment Of Bills By Contractors
Question 103-12(6): GNWT Policy On Non-payment Of Bills By Contractors
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 217

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is the responsibility of hotels, subcontractors or business people in the Northwest Territories to inform the government that they have not been paid in a certain time period after the contract is finished. All people are aware of that. All people are also aware that we do hold back 10 per cent of the overall contract to settle the unpaid bills if they are not. There is a time frame. Other than that, we are not responsible and, no, we cannot take away the business incentive policy for unpaid bills. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 103-12(6): GNWT Policy On Non-payment Of Bills By Contractors
Question 103-12(6): GNWT Policy On Non-payment Of Bills By Contractors
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 217

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne.

Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Public Works and Services. Madam Speaker, we are aware of the fact that the Minister's department is undertaking a long-needed review of the business incentive policy, but, in the meantime -- this review may take a number of months -- the Minister and Members have received complaints about southern companies that are circumventing the rules of the business incentive policy and taking contracts from northern companies. So my question to the Minister is what is the Minister doing in the meantime until the review is completed to make sure that this doesn't happen.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Return To Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 218

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have a senior management committee that is in place to ensure that the spirit and intent of the business incentive policy is followed. All applications for the business incentive policy are looked at through that committee and they are then given out accordingly. Thank you.

Return To Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 218

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Supplementary To Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 218

Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

Thank you. I am not sure that makes me feel any better, because that particular approach has been in place for a while. So I will ask the Minister another question. Would the Minister be prepared to personally review new applications under the business incentive policy to ensure that the spirit and intent of the business incentive policy is carried out?

Supplementary To Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 218

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Further Return To Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 218

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Right now, the committee is comprised of the deputy ministers of Transportation and Public Works and Services, the president of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, as well as the deputy minister of Economic Development and Tourism. All issues which are brought forward to me from all MLAs, if they have a concern about the business incentive policy, I follow up on personally. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 218

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Supplementary To Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 218

Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

Thank you. Speaking as one MLA, I have a concern about the whole process. I was happy to hear that the Minister is prepared to use the spirit and intent clause to protect northern businesses. I will ask the Minister again, not just on a case-by-case basis, but will the Minister become more involved in this process, because the process right now is not working. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 218

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Further Return To Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 218

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have become more personally involved in this process. We are going through a consultation process to revise the Business Incentive Policy. The problem is not only who gets the business incentive policy, but the problem we have is how to define a northerner and who is eligible for preference under this policy. So I am personally involved and I will continue to be personally involved. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 218

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Supplementary To Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 218

Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

My final supplementary to the Minister, following up on the Minister's comments on the spirit and intent clause, does the Minister intend to enforce the business incentive policy if a company doesn't follow the policy by ensuring that they don't get a contract in the future, using the spirit and intent clause to police the contract?

Supplementary To Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 218

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Further Return To Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 218

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would love to be able to do that today but I am unable to do that today. That is the whole idea of reviewing the business incentive policy, of redoing it, so if people do not follow what they lay out in their contracts and their tenders, then we can remove the business incentive policy from them. There will have to be fairly unique circumstances today for that to happen but, hopefully, within the next six months, we will be able to do that if people do not hire northerners where they say they are going to hire northerners, or if they are storefront operations, then we will remove their business incentive policy. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Question 104-12(6): Interim Measures During Review Of Bip
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 218

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Question 105-12(6): Policy For Mammography Screening
Item 6: Oral Questions

October 11th, 1994

Page 218

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Madam Speaker, on March 29, this year, I asked the then Minister of Health,

Mr. Pollard, if the department had developed a policy for mammography screening. The Minister's response was that the department was reviewing the data and would recommend to him what the policy should be. He followed up with a letter to me at the end of April which stated that following final review of data collected over the past three years, the department would clarify its policy with regard to appropriate practice. My question, Madam Speaker, is has this really happened. Do we now have a policy covering mammography screening?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services, Madam Premier.

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, I will take that question as notice. Thank you.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Premier and it has to do with the Northwest Territories Power Corporation's application for a general rate review, now before the Public Utilities Board. Madam Speaker, as I understand the materials presented by the Power Corporation, in its application for a general rate increase, it seems to be assumed by the Power Corporation that as the power bill goes up, it is expected that the government subsidy for domestic non-government consumers will also go up. That is, the Power Corporation seems to assume that the subsidy will continue on the present formula in its rate application.

My question to the Premier, Madam Speaker, is has the Government of the Northwest Territories calculated how much the increased subsidy will cost the government if the rate changes go through. Thank you.