This is page numbers 585 - 620 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.

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Further Return To Question 292-12(5): Strategy For Employment In Mining Industry
Question 292-12(5): Strategy For Employment In Mining Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 597

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The discussions we have held so far have been extremely positive. It is a matter now for us to develop the appropriate training programs and we can then consider how best to deal with that in the strategy itself. I think it is important that we ensure it is part of an overall strategy and not a strategy isolated to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

Further Return To Question 292-12(5): Strategy For Employment In Mining Industry
Question 292-12(5): Strategy For Employment In Mining Industry
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 597

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Natilikmiot, Mr. Ningark.

John Ningark Natilikmiot

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Renewable Resources. Madam Speaker, living in an outpost camp is one of the most effective ways of dealing with the problem we have, especially in times of financial restraint. When a family lives in an outpost camp, the government assists them and the don't have to worry about the rent, we have no roads to maintain, we have no recreation facilities in outpost camps, we don't provide any social assistance to outpost camps, we don't have to worry about maintaining schools, we don't have to provide staff to people living in outpost camps. What is the eligibility criteria for a family who wants to live in an outpost camp? Thank you.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Renewable Resources, Mr. Kakfwi.

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Madam Speaker, I have to take the question as notice. I have no idea what the requirements are for people to be eligible to set up an outpost camp or be eligible to enter an outpost camp.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kitikmeot, Mr. Ng.

Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Item 5: Oral Questions

March 14th, 1994

Page 597

Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Premier and is regarding a response to a written question she tabled yesterday on trips to Barrow, Alaska and Yakutia, Russia. Although I am encouraged and agree with the government's efforts to support business initiatives, which may, in the future or already, generate economic activity and benefits to northern firms and individuals, I also acknowledge that the government was instrumental in facilitating the project design

and construction of a new village in Yakutia, Russia. Madam Premier has expressed our government's support by accompanying these delegations to Alaska and Russia as outlined in her response. She has also advised us that both trips were cost-shared charters with business interests. Did the Premier consider the cost-effectiveness of travelling via commercial scheduled airline service versus chartered service to attend these trips? Thank you.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Return To Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 598

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Thank you, Madam Speaker. For all our travel representing the government, we consider all avenues of travel, the time frame we have to travel and the most cost-effective way. Thank you.

Return To Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 598

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ng.

Supplementary To Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 598

Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Madam Speaker. What type of activities took place in these countries besides the official opening of a new village in Yakutia, Russia?

Supplementary To Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 598

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Further Return To Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 598

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, at some point in time, when the honourable Member has an opportunity to travel to Russia, I invite him to experience some of the ways the Russians do business. I know many times in Canada, the Northwest Territories people get upset about the government, how they do business and how many meetings you have to go to, but let me tell you when you go to Russia, even the very smallest decision they have to make, there is a multitude of meetings that start first thing in the morning and go through many social functions and right into the evening. So I would say we had about three different meetings. One meeting was in relationship to a further contract that Ferguson Simek Clark were attempting to finalize on the airport terminal building, which they got. So we had some meetings in that area. We had some meetings with the sub-government groups that are in the decision-making process. So there were several small meetings during the time we were there.

I was pleased that we finally concluded the village. I have been involved with that enterprise with Ferguson Simek Clark for several years along with the Department of Public Works. The steps you have to take to even get there are horrendous and I am glad that it finally reached its end. For the next trip, I would like to have someone else take that marvellous opportunity. Thank you.

---Laughter

---Applause

Further Return To Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 598

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ng.

Supplementary To Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 598

Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

If the government wishes to pick up the cost of it, I will certainly consider it in the future. I would like to ask a final question. Is there a policy that the government has or a protocol that it has related to on how they support private business ventures that are wishing to do business internationally? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 598

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Further Return To Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 598

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, we don't have a policy on how that is done. The particular enterprise came out of -- particularly with the Russian venture -- many years of cross-cultural exchanges. There was an opportunity. Business doesn't occur like it does in the Northwest Territories or Canada or anywhere else in the world because you have to go through a lot of government agencies who are part of the system on how to conduct business in the USSR, so it is very complicated. I tried to learn as best as I could how to get through that maze. It took a lot of time and there have been a lot of changes in that particular state of union. But, at that particular time, this came out of the government exchange programs that had existed over a number of years, and there was no other way where decisions could be made to finally narrow and nail down a deal without using government protocol. We were requested by this Northwest Territories company to assist them in trying to get the decisions made as required. So it was done as a one-time effort, and as for other requests that have come, to my knowledge, they have generally been responded to at the request of specific groups who need to have some type of political protocol to get the attention of another jurisdiction. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Question 294-12(5): Cost Of Commercial Travel Versus Charters
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 598

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Whitford.

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a question I would like to direct to the Minister of Finance, and it relates to the tobacco tax. I am intrigued by the suggestion that the Minister made some time ago that any imported cigarettes into the Northwest Territories would be self-declared; that is, the individuals importing them from a province that doesn't have a high tax will simply phone up to the Department of Finance and declare that they have these cigarettes and ask how much they have to pay. I would like to ask the Minister whether his department is able to track this kind of information so he can provide myself and the House with the numbers of people who are phoning in and if they have established a new phone system so that they can cope with the numbers. Is there a system in place by which they can actually track this kind of information?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Return To Question 295-12(5): Procedures For Tracking Imported Tobacco
Question 295-12(5): Procedures For Tracking Imported Tobacco
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 599

John Pollard Hay River

Madam Speaker, the phone line in the office has been sort of like the Maytag repair shop. The phone hasn't been ringing, Madam Speaker.

---Laughter

In the new legislation that we will be bringing forward, hopefully, Madam Speaker, there will be a requirement in there similar to the Liquor Act, that if you are going to import a case of cigarettes or a number of cigarettes or tobacco from outside of the Northwest Territories then you would seek a permit to get it imported into the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Return To Question 295-12(5): Procedures For Tracking Imported Tobacco
Question 295-12(5): Procedures For Tracking Imported Tobacco
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 599

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I know that recent mining meetings are a very serious subject, and I know it is not Friday, but I would like to ask the Premier about some statements made by the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources on CBC on March 14 about his recent meetings.

Madam Speaker, there have been some complaints about the Minister's vocabulary in the past, but I noticed in this interview he used a relatively mild four-letter word, as far as four-letter words go. He said, and I heard this four times on the various newscasts beginning with Iqaluit on Monday, "There is an agreement to sit down and take a look at what it would take to get these things up and running, what kind of infrastructure is required and who the hell is going to pay for it." Now, Madam Speaker, my question to the Premier is, is this new restrained vocabulary on the part of the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, the result of a quiet discussion the Premier has had with the Minister about whether a Minister of the Crown should use profanity? Thank you.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Return To Question 296-12(5): Minister Todd's Vocabulary
Question 296-12(5): Minister Todd's Vocabulary
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 599

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, I believe that the main asset that any political being has is how you express yourself and the effectiveness of how you express yourself. In the opposite direction, there has been some concern about some Ministers who appear to be too calm and...