This is page numbers 301 - 332 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 science.

Topics

Supplementary To Question 144-12(6): Testing Quality Of River Water
Question 144-12(6): Testing Quality Of River Water
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

I recognize that you are asking for more information, Mr. Gargan, but these types of questions you should note in the future should be made under written questions. However, I will see if the Premier will reply to your question. Madam Premier.

Further Return To Question 144-12(6): Testing Quality Of River Water
Question 144-12(6): Testing Quality Of River Water
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, I will provide those details to the honourable Member. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 144-12(6): Testing Quality Of River Water
Question 144-12(6): Testing Quality Of River Water
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik, Mr. Koe.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

The NWT

Fred Koe Inuvik

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, earlier today, the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism spoke about National Co-op Week and International Credit Union Day. At the annual general meeting this summer of the Northwest Territories cooperatives, they had expected the Minister to respond to a request they had made to establish a credit union in the Northwest Territories.

My question to the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism is what is the status of this request.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Todd.

Return To Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In The Nwt
Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In
Item 6: Oral Questions

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John Todd Keewatin Central

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I believe I stated last week that I've received more letters on this issue than Santa Claus gets in December. My position on the NWT Arctic Cooperatives Ltd. request for fiscal assistance to establish a credit union is that we are moving as quickly as we can to put an application before the EDA to see if they're prepared to provide them with some of the initial funds they require to move forward on the important issue of establishing credit unions in the Northwest Territories. We are responding as quickly as we can. We are trying to move quickly on it, hopefully by the end of November.

Return To Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In The Nwt
Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Supplementary To Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In The Nwt
Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Fred Koe Inuvik

Mahsi. This application to EDA, is this a joint effort proposal between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Northwest Territories Arctic Cooperatives?

Supplementary To Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In The Nwt
Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 307

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Todd.

Further Return To Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In The Nwt
Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In
Item 6: Oral Questions

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John Todd Keewatin Central

No, this is a direct request from the Arctic Co-op Ltd., through Mr. Lyall, who is the president of that operation. It was a direct request to me to provide, if you want, the Seed money necessary for them to take a look at what kind of fiscal resources they would need to put a credit union into place.

I want to make it clear to everybody in the House that it is not our intention to provide all the money necessary to put together a credit corporation. The request we have been given is for some initial funds to take a look at the options that may be available in terms of funding an NWT credit union. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In The Nwt
Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Supplementary To Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In The Nwt
Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Fred Koe Inuvik

Thank you. Just for clarification then, the application that is going through EDA, the economic development agreement, is that for Seed money or is that for investigative money?

Supplementary To Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In The Nwt
Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 307

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Todd.

Further Return To Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In The Nwt
Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In
Item 6: Oral Questions

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John Todd Keewatin Central

Madam Speaker, it is for both. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In The Nwt
Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Item 6, oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Supplementary To Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In The Nwt
Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 307

Fred Koe Inuvik

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. The Minister stated that they are moving very quickly to do this. Does he have a target date as to when he expects to have something lucrative to report back to the cooperative?

Supplementary To Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In The Nwt
Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Further Return To Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In The Nwt
Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In
Item 6: Oral Questions

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John Todd Keewatin Central

Well, I don't know if it is going to be lucrative, but this Minister made a commitment to the board of

directors of ACL to put forward an application to invite some assistance in the potential development of a credit union. It is my understanding in talking to the department that it is going before the EDA subcommittee. Hopefully, if we get a positive response from them, we will be able to tell Mr. Lyall and his many co-op members, that we are moving forward positively on this issue, and then I will stop getting letters about it. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In The Nwt
Question 145-12(6): Status Of Establishing Credit Union In
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

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

Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance, who I would like to welcome back to the House. I know, Madam Speaker, that the Minister has been meeting with his federal, provincial and territorial counterparts this past week. We've read in the newspapers that there were proposals put forward, one of which would abolish the provincial sales tax and the GST to be replaced by a so-called "flat tax."

I would like to ask our Minister of Finance, since we don't have a sales tax in the Northwest Territories how would the Northwest Territories fit into this proposed new flat tax scheme? Thank you.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Return To Question 146-12(6): Status Of Nwt In Proposed Flat Tax Scheme
Question 146-12(6): Status Of NWT In Proposed Flat Tax Scheme
Item 6: Oral Questions

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John Pollard Hay River

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and good afternoon. Madam Speaker, we just don't know how provinces and territories, such as Alberta, the Yukon and ourselves, will fit into this program. There have been some suggestions back and forth about a refund of personal income taxes or a distribution of those funds over and above the five per cent that the federal government would require back to the territorial and Alberta government for redistribution.

There have been a number of casual comments made in that regard. But we are, by far, the least of Mr. Martin's problems. His problems are with those provinces that are going to have a shortfall if he goes through with this particular proposal. It is up in the air at the present time.

I should remind Members that there are now three proposals. Manitoba and Ontario have tabled proposals in this regard as well. So, until the smoke clears and there is some clarification about which proposal is going to take effect and how it is going to take effect, we will continue, along with Alberta and the Yukon, to monitor the situation. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Return To Question 146-12(6): Status Of Nwt In Proposed Flat Tax Scheme
Question 146-12(6): Status Of NWT In Proposed Flat Tax Scheme
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Supplementary To Question 146-12(6): Status Of Nwt In Proposed Flat Tax Scheme
Question 146-12(6): Status Of NWT In Proposed Flat Tax Scheme
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 308

Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I would like to ask Mr. Pollard whether or not the Ministers have agreed to a timetable to resolve this issue, or are we just going to continue hearing about various proposals floating around indefinitely? Thank you.