This is page numbers 243 - 273 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 5th 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 chairman.

Further Return To Question 140-12(5): Simplifying Change Of Name Procedures
Revert Back To Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
Revert Back To Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is in response to a question asked by Mr. Kelvin Ng on February 18, 1994, about simplifying change of name procedures. Mr. Ng asked for a report on progress being made in respect to amendments to the Change of Name Act. I would like to let Members know that discussions have been held between the Department of Safety and Public Services and the Department of Justice, and it is our belief at this time that we do have to repeal the act and have it replaced. We are preparing a legislative proposal at this time and, hopefully, by fall we should have a bill to enact a new Change of Name Act introduced to the session at that time. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 140-12(5): Simplifying Change Of Name Procedures
Revert Back To Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
Revert Back To Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions

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The Speaker

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, oral questions. Item 6, written questions. Item 7, returns to written questions. Item 8, replies to opening address. Item 9, replies to budget address. The honourable Member for Inuvik, Mr. Koe.

Item 9: Replies To Budget Address
Item 9: Replies To Budget Address

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The Speaker

Mr. Koe's Reply

Item 9: Replies To Budget Address
Item 9: Replies To Budget Address

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Fred Koe Inuvik

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to reply to the budget address. With all the pre-budget hype, the doom and gloom and the talk of a tough budget, I think most of us expected something quite different than what was presented in the budget address. The Minister of Finance delivered a very conservative budget address.

The address, together with the Premier's Sessional Statement, reaffirms this government's mode of continuing to plan and strategize. For example, there are many strategies mentioned, including the income security reform strategy, the renewable resource development strategy, the minerals strategy, the health strategy and the Arctic College and education strategy.

These are well and good as plans are required to develop programs, but the public would like to now see some action.

They've experienced over two years of restructuring, reorganizing, decentralizing and, in some cases, the centralizing of departments and programs. I believe the public now wants to see some stabilization and some concrete work in our economy. How can we create jobs? How can we stimulate the economy in our communities? We need to create an environment where investors can divert their money in the

north and expect security, stability and, hopefully, the ability to generate some wealth.

In many ways, the budget address tries to highlight what good things this government is doing or expects to do. I would express my appreciation of some of these good things this government is doing. For example, in Education, there has been an acceleration of the teacher education program. There has been a move toward grade extensions into the communities, and some moneys has been put aside to enhance post-secondary education. In Municipal and Community Affairs, there's been an enhancement of the recreation programs. In Economic Development and Tourism, decentralized authority and responsibility to the regions. And there's been a lot of work on the income security reform program. However, there's a need in income security reform to start some pilot projects now.

I'm aware of a recent proposal that was presented to some Ministers to start construction and extension of the Mackenzie Highway. I think that warrants a good look, and maybe some energies and money put into a program of this sort.

On the other hand, Madam Speaker, there are many areas which need focus and direction and these did not get mentioned in the budget address. For example, we have, in this House in the last several years, talked a lot about the Department of Health and the Department of Social Services. We made many recommendations in the recent report of the Special Committee on Health and Social Services, and I believe these need to be addressed and looked at.

In Education, the need to address the quality of education and work on some stay-in-school programs. The need to establish education as this government's number one priority.

We also need to develop our human resources based in the north, and we need to enhance the Arctic College programs.

In any budget you have two sides to an income statement, the expenditure side which is what government does very well, then the revenue side. I was very disappointed to notice no new initiatives on the revenue side of this budget. Some of us expected the Minister to announce new revenue generation ideas, not more personal taxes which I believe people in the north appreciated because no new tax increases were announced. But, I'm sure we could have withstood some increases in our consumption or win taxes. Maybe take the freight subsidies off booze. Maybe generate new gambling revenues by establishing new and regulated gambling regimes. And we have to increase our efforts in the enhancement of mineral and oil and gas exploration development. Again, we need a proper and stable environment so investors would look at putting their money into the north.

We also need to accelerate the settlement of land claims and self-government negotiations. And we need to ensure that the implementation of existing claims proceed as was negotiated.

Madam Speaker, in the section on the economic development I was very disappointed in the highlights. For example, in the Inuvik region the big highlight was the establishment of an economic development committee in Fort Norman. This may be a big event in Fort Norman, but I'm not sure what economic benefit or impact this will have on the region, not in the short-term anyway. Surely there must have been other events of note in the Inuvik region.

This government is currently negotiating with the feds on a new formula financing agreement. I wish the Minister and his staff well in these negotiations. I've offered, through this House, and I'll offer again, the assistance of some advisors who are very experienced in negotiating with federal officials. There are many negotiators who have worked on land claims who can probably assist the Minister and staff in the financial negotiations. These people have done package deals before, and probably can provide you with some good advice -- and I understand that their rates are very reasonable.

I now wish to comment on the federal/territorial fiscal arrangements which the Minister mentioned in his budget address. There does not seem to be an overall concrete government strategy on how to resolve some of these issues. Each item seems to be a major issue in itself. The Standing Committee on Finance has recommended that a package approach be negotiated, and I support these recommendations.

I also fully support this government's recent announcement by the Minister of Energy, Mines and Renewable Resources to start negotiating the oil and gas and mineral accords. However, I must caution the Minister to ensure that he keeps the aboriginal organizations fully informed and fully involved in these negotiations. The groups with land claim settlements have a stake in these negotiations as they have negotiated some royalty arrangements with both the federal and territorial governments.

In the area of the health billings, the Minister announced that he has talked to the federal Ministers of Finance and Indian Affairs and Northern Development and they have agreed to explore the possibility of reaching a settlement. This doesn't give me much comfort as this dispute has been dragging on for many years. It seems like another case of the big brother syndrome -- back off, be good and we'll continue to keep this issue on the back burner. Madam Speaker, to me that's not good enough.

I would like to hear the Minister of Finance say, yes, we will include this item in our overall package and this is how we'll deal with it. With a push for more devolution, I don't want to see us get into similar financial problems as we've experienced in Health, forest fire fighting and social housing.

In terms of social housing, again, here's another instance where northerners, I think, have been sold down the river. Obviously, the ongoing meetings and the ongoing talks with federal Ministers have produced no results. In the budget address, Minister Pollard stated, and I quote, "We will continue to pursue the issue of social housing vigorously, and the federal government has to recognize it's responsibilities and it must reinstate the funding for social housing."

Madam Speaker, these are nice words, but meaningless. The more we talk to the feds, it seems the more cuts are imposed. We have to take some drastic action. Let's all go to Ottawa, let's demonstrate, let's have sit-ins, let's move into the

Minister's office. We have to let them know we're serious. Nice talk and nice words don't seem to be good enough.

As for the national infrastructure program, it seems that with our intensive lobbying by our Premier and by the Minister of Finance, we were able to get an additional $1.3 million over and above the $4 million. This is well and good, but I wonder how many political favours were used up in this deal. I believe it would have been more appropriate to include this item in an overall package, present this to the feds and say, let's make a deal. Here are all the components which we wish to talk about and have financed.

We cannot continue on a piecemeal, project-by-project basis, where everything becomes a crisis and no one wins. We need to present a package deal where the Northwest Territories wins, the federal government wins and, ultimately, our residents of the north win. This is the goal of successful negotiating, everybody wins.

Once again, Madam Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity. Qujannamiik. Mahsi cho.

Item 9: Replies To Budget Address
Item 9: Replies To Budget Address

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The Speaker

The honourable Member for Kitikmeot, Mr. Ng.

Mr. Ng's Reply

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Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Our government has presented their operating budget for the 1994-95 fiscal year. I have been fortunate, as a Member of the Standing Committee on Finance, to review these estimates in greater detail than many other Members. There are many positive items being proposed by all departments in the definitive objectives outlined in the budget. I, along with other Members of the Standing Committee on Finance, have doubts whether each department can obtain and achieve all of their definitive objectives in the coming year.

As Members of this Assembly, I believe we are not expecting the GNWT to carry out massive improvements and initiatives overnight, or even in the course of one year. We know their human and financial resources are limited. I believe that the government should outline realistic goals, both immediate and long-term, and diligently work towards carrying them out. That is why we want the government to priorize their initiatives in order to do a few things well, as opposed to many things poorly.

Madam Speaker, the government has indicated to us that the Education, Culture and Employment budget will be up to more than $144 million. I am glad the continued resources are being provided to education, which all Members feel is the priority.

A concern I do have in Education is that over the course of the past several years, the education boards, the department and staff have concentrated their efforts on increasing student enrolment and reducing drop-out rates. The emphasis of Education has been on the staying-in school strategy. I commend them -- the department and the boards -- in being successful in this. However, while it is important for our children to do just that, it is more critical for the ones who do complete school, to graduate with advanced academic certificates and have the opportunity to attend post-secondary education.

As student enrolments continue to increase, as grade extensions are now being implemented into our communities, the focus and emphasis on education should be shifted toward achieving excellence. Similar to housing, the GNWT identifies their major priorities and objectives in order to concentrate on doing things well. We must now ensure that our students strive to raise their standards by developing an attitude toward excellence.

Another concern I have with the Education budget is the approximately $1 million reduction in community programs of Arctic College funding. We must continue to develop our workforce in order to prepare for opportunities in a civil service, new and existing businesses and the creation of land claims implementation organizations. This should be the time when the government should be increasing, not decreasing, their funding for adult upgrading and training needs. Although we place a high priority in the education of our youth, we cannot forget about our ever increasing existing workforce.

Madam Speaker, I am cautiously optimistic that mineral developments will bring employment and business opportunities to northerners. Job creation and income-producing initiatives will be further advanced if our government is successful in finalizing a mineral accord with the federal government. I will again state that our government must have the legislative and regulatory powers to deal with mining developments in the NWT to ensure northerners maximize our involvement and derive significant benefits from resource development in our backyard.

The continued and increased emphasis on developing and supporting our renewable resources sector will provide immediate, short and long-term economic benefits to northerners. I am pleased that the government has finally recognized the need to formalize a policy which encourages their own institutions to utilize our renewable resources harvested from sustainable commercial quotas. The finalization and approval of this policy will increase the income earning opportunities to our harvesters and provide wage-earning opportunities to residents in our communities involved in processing.

Madam Speaker, the Building and Learning Strategy and the construction worker training program have benefitted some communities in a small portion of our unemployed. It is a good start. A continuation of these programs, along with structuring government contracts to ensure maximum involvement of northerners, will assist toward providing much needed employment and income earning opportunities.

The new direction of Economic Development and Tourism in decentralizing decision-making authorities to the regional level should speed up the application and turn around process for applicants. The new grants to small business policy designed for artists, crafts people and commercial renewable resource harvesters will benefit the clients under this program tremendously in supporting and allowing them to participate in income producing activities.

Madam Speaker, the social housing funding crisis facing us is part of our government's overall fiscal framework which must be clarified in the immediate future, along with the health billings dispute, the perversity factor and the formula funding agreement. Future financial agreements, such as increased costs of funding, two new territories in 1999, the northern accord, the mineral accord, transportation agreements, et cetera, must all be negotiated as an integrated, overall financial package with the federal government in order to provide financial stability and to coordinate our government's negotiations.

The budget addresses public service management costs in great detail, compared to other expenditures of the government. Rightly so, as salaries and benefits account for over $400 million of the $1 billion plus operating budget. The Minister addresses the issue of pay-for-performance in the public sector compensation and the fact, I believe, is this may be long overdue. While the government has many dedicated, productive employees, we all know there are also a few unproductive ones. Many of us are aware of instances where employees are paid for incompetence.

The Minister has announced that deputy minister compensation will be based on performance paid based on the results they achieve. I believe this was developed by the government to show the civil service that our government is serious about pay-for-performance. Madam Speaker, our government should take it one step further by having our Executive Council Members compensated in the same manner as the deputy ministers, pay based on performance. If the government believes in this concept, let them show the civil servants, the public and this Assembly that they are serious.

I believe a majority of the Members of this Assembly are supportive of the zero increase legislation to our salaries for 1994-95. Although I believe the government will be negotiating for zero increases and may be considering rollbacks with the public service, they should also consider optional, unpaid long weekends as a cost-reducing measure in dealing with the overall fiscal situation.

I have addressed the major areas of importance which I wanted to highlight: the need for the government to priorize and establish realistic goals; a continued priority on education and training; instilling excellence in education; job and income producing opportunities from both renewable resources and non-renewable resources; and, a need for the government to negotiate an overall financial package with the federal government.

Madam Speaker, we all recognize that our financial resources are becoming more limited. Our government has to identify cost-saving measures and revenue-producing initiatives in order to continue providing the ever-increasing demand for services placed on them. We cannot continue disposing of our government assets, such as staff housing, to meet the fiscal demands of other programs.

In these days of scarce financial resources, we must all work together toward maximizing the effectiveness and efficiency of programs to our residents. This has been my first reply to the budget and I look forward to doing many more. Mahsi.

---Applause

Item 9: Replies To Budget Address
Item 9: Replies To Budget Address

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The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Item 9, replies to budget address. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Item 19, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters: Bill 1, Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95; Committee Report 2-12(5), Review of the 1994-95 Main Estimates; Minister's Statement 5-12(5), Session Business; Tabled Document 1-12(5), Towards an NWT Mineral Strategy; Tabled Document 2-12(5), Building and Learning Strategy; Tabled Document 3-12(5), Towards a Strategy to 2010: A Discussion Paper; and, Tabled Document 11-12(5), First Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner of the NWT for the Year 1992-93, with Mr. Whitford in the chair. Thank you.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Tony Whitford

The committee will now come to order. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Dent.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to suggest that the committee continue with Bill 1 and Committee Report 2-12(5), and continue with the examination of the Department of the Executive, where we left off.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Tony Whitford

Does the committee agree?

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

---Agreed

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Some Hon. Members

Department Of Executive

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The Chair

The Chair Tony Whitford

We have agreement. When we left off we were still on general comments, I believe. The Department of the Executive is in your main estimates book on page 02-25. With Committee Report 2-12, I believe we were on page five, or thereabouts. Mr. Koe.

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Fred Koe Inuvik

Let's take a break.

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The Chair

The Chair Tony Whitford

There has been a request that we take a short break. We'll resume in about ten minutes time.

---SHORT RECESS

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The Chair

The Chair Tony Whitford

Bonjour, tout le monde. We're ready to reconvene the committee of the whole after a short recess. There are more Members on their way in here as we speak. Mr. Pollard, I understand you have some witnesses to bring in, or a witness. Mr. Pollard

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John Pollard Hay River

That's correct, Mr. Chairman. I would like to bring in Mr. Voytilla, who is the secretary to the Financial Management Board. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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The Chair

The Chair Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Pollard. Sergeant-at-Arms, would you escort the witness to the witness table. Oh, I'm sorry. Does the committee agree?

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

---Agreed

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The Chair

The Chair Tony Whitford

We have agreement. Mr. Pollard, the committee has agreed that we accept the witness. Would you introduce the witness to the committee, please.

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John Pollard Hay River

For the record, Mr. Chairman, the gentleman I have with me is Mr. Lew Voytilla, secretary to the Financial Management Board. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Financial Board Secretariat

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The Chair

The Chair Tony Whitford

Thank you. We were on general comments and we will resume that. Financial Management Board Secretariat, page 02-25. Any comments? If there are no further general comments, does the committee agree that we proceed with detail?

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

---Agreed

Directorate

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The Chair

The Chair Tony Whitford

Page 02-26, directorate, total O and M, $2.455 million. Mr. Dent.

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Mr. Chairman, I noticed that one of the definitive objectives is to initiate the collection and analysis of travel patterns and cost data, and start providing the analysis to travel budget managers under the directorate. The travel office has been in operation for more than a year now so I had thought that this sort of undertaking would have been completed and we would have been into the travel management phase. I wonder if the Minister could advise just what is happening with this travel management office?