This is page numbers 821 - 852 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.

Topics

Return To Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 828

Silas Arngna'naaq Kivallivik

The decrease of subsidy, Madam Speaker, originally came as a result of fiscal restraint which this government was in a couple of years ago. This originated when the departments were asked to find ways of cutting their funds. This subsidy decrease will apply to all municipalities in the Northwest Territories, and, Madam Speaker, I do have the information, at this point, which is that there will be a slight reduction of .0005 cents per litre. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Return To Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 828

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Zoe.

Supplementary To Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 828

Henry Zoe

Henry Zoe North Slave

Madam Speaker, the honourable Member responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs did not answer my question. My question was, did he consult with the businesses at the community level prior to implementing these changes? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 828

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Further Return To Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 828

Silas Arngna'naaq Kivallivik

Thank you, Madam Speaker. When I took over this portfolio, I understood that there had been extensive consultation with the communities, and what I did was take a step which had not been taken by previous Ministers, which was to take it into Cabinet. The way I understood it, there was extensive consultation with communities across the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Further Return To Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 828

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Zoe.

Supplementary To Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 828

Henry Zoe

Henry Zoe North Slave

Madam Speaker, I am having a little bit of a difficult time. The honourable Member is indicating that he has consulted the community, so I assume that includes the businesses that are going to be affected by these proposed rates, but I also want to ask the Minister, has the department, prior to making these suggestions for changes, done a detailed analysis of the effects on businesses pertaining to these changes that are being proposed by the department? Have they done that type of work? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 828

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Further Return To Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 828

Silas Arngna'naaq Kivallivik

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I assume that by saying communities I was saying that

businesses were consulted. To what degree, I am not certain, but there was consultation made with communities. With the analysis, the department did make a detailed analysis of this decrease in the subsidy for commercial users. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 829

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Zoe.

Supplementary To Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 829

Henry Zoe

Henry Zoe North Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. If the department has done this analysis with regard to the effects on businesses, could I ask the Minister if he could provide to the House the results of the analysis that was conducted. The reason that I am saying that, Madam Speaker, is that, if we are going to decrease an amount of money to municipalities, that means municipalities themselves have to move in on the amount that is required for them to operate. The proposed changes being made by the government mean we're decreasing the subsidy on the commercial side, that means the municipalities have to pick up the balance of the revenues. That would mean that the water and sewer rates for commercial users would have to be increased at the community level. That's why I wanted the Minister to provide us with the details of the analysis the department has done. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. I just want to caution Members not to be repetitive. I believe this question was like one posed to the Premier. Although I will allow the Minister of MACA to reply to it, I just want to advise Members of this House that questions are to be posed once to the Ministers and that there shouldn't be similar questions posed by other Members on the same topic. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Further Return To Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Silas Arngna'naaq Kivallivik

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have no difficulty in providing the information to the Member. The only thing is, the analysis is based on what savings it will have for the territorial government, and not necessarily for municipalities. The municipalities vary in size and amount of funds they are able to acquire. In some cases, municipalities have a surplus in their water and sewage program, so it will depend on each municipality to decide whether they will increase the rates for commercial users.

With so many municipalities having surpluses, it shows to us that our subsidy rates for these municipalities is high. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Further Return To Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Question 376-12(5): Consultation With Business Community Re Rate Increase
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 829

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Aivilik, Mr. Arvaluk.

James Arvaluk Aivilik

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister responsible for Consumer Affairs. His reply under returns to oral questions, created more questions, especially on the second page of his reply which says, "The

territorial government has no regulatory authority to control or in any way affect the prices of consumer products."

My question is, since there is no regulatory means to discourage price gouging, will the Minister consider introducing legislation or regulations with teeth, to investigate or find incidents of price gouging to give remote communities to share in an affordable and enjoyable life-style? Thank you.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. I apologize, the Minister of Consumer Affairs. I'm sorry, not consumer affairs, Safety and Public Services, which consumer affairs falls under. Mr. Nerysoo.

---Laughter

Return To Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 829

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm glad that you've given me more titles and responsibilities. Madam Speaker, I just want to say this to the honourable Member. In some of these cases, the jurisdiction does exist, but the authority rests in the hands of the federal government. What we need to do is advise those communities or individuals who are having problems in the area of price gouging to take the appropriate steps and to address the appropriate legislation and use the mechanisms. As I indicated to the honourable Member, we would be prepared to provide assistance to the honourable Member and his constituents -- and to other Members -- when they feel there is a need for us to intervene or to bring the concerns to the attention of the appropriate agency.

Return To Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Arvaluk.

Return To Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Item 5: Oral Questions

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James Arvaluk Aivilik

Madam Speaker, I don't know if this should be a supplementary, but I did not hear him say yes or no to my question. That's what I wanted to hear.

Return To Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. There's wasn't a question there, Mr. Arvaluk. It was basically a comment. Do you want to ask a question in your supplementary?

Supplementary To Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 829

James Arvaluk Aivilik

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question was, will the Minister consider introducing legislation to discourage price gouging? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 829

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Safety and Public Services, Mr. Nerysoo.

Further Return To Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I didn't indicate to the honourable Member that yes, I would, because there is the possibility that there is legislation in existence already within the jurisdiction of the federal government. The matter is whether or not that legislation is being applied. I indicated to the honourable Member that we would review the matter and if there's a situation where we

could be of assistance to the honourable Member's constituency, we would be prepared to provide our assistance in accessing or providing advice to them, so we use the appropriate legislation.

There may not be a requirement to introduce legislation. If there is, then obviously we have to seriously consider that matter.

Further Return To Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Arvaluk.

Supplementary To Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Question 377-12(5): GNWT Regulatory Authority To Control Prices Of Consumer Products
Item 5: Oral Questions

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James Arvaluk Aivilik

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Would there be some kind of complement to the federal legislation that the Minister would consider, as the present system of being a watchdog for price gouging is not practicable. You can't really do it because federal legislation does not give clear guidelines for what prices should be in small communities. My supplementary, Madam Speaker, is would he consider complementary and further information to protect the consumers? Thank you.