This is page numbers 853 - 869 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 388-12(5): Telephone Services To Small Communities
Question 388-12(5): Telephone Services To Small Communities
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'd be pleased to do that. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 388-12(5): Telephone Services To Small Communities
Question 388-12(5): Telephone Services To Small Communities
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Thank you, Madam Speaker. About a year and a half ago, I wrote to the Premier with regard to clearing a right-of-way between Taltson and Pine Point. I understand that there is $80,000, but I can't confirm that, that is set aside to make sure that from Taltson to Pine Point, the trees underneath the power lines are cut so that they don't touch the lines. I would like to ask the Premier whether, in fact, there is money set aside for that, and who is the person who does that? Is this an internal thing, or do you advertise the clearing of the right-of-way?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister responsible for the Power Corporation, Madam Premier.

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, since the power line is a power line with the Power Corporation, any work that would have to be done would be contracted by the Power Corporation. I've had discussions with the Power Corporation on the desire of aboriginal groups that they want to be considered if there were expenditures on clearing the rights-of-way of keeping the rights-of-way cleared. I know that the Power Corporation is supportive of making sure that any job is possible to be done by the residents of the particular area, that this is to be considered.

However, on the issue of whether there is a particular amount that is set aside to do this, I will have to take that as notice and I will try to get that information over the weekend for the Member. Thank you.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Supplementary...I'm sorry, she took it as notice. Item 5, oral questions. Item 6, written questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I tried to catch the oral question part of it. I seek unanimous consent to go back to oral questions, please, Madam Speaker.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to oral questions. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Proceed, Mr. Antoine.

Question 390-12(5): Purpose Of Minister Of Renewable Resources' Trip
Revert Back To Item 5: Oral Questions

March 24th, 1994

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Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My honourable colleague, the Minister of Renewable Resources, just returned from a trip. I just wanted to acknowledge that and I would like to ask him a simple question of what the purpose of his trip was, wherever he went. I'll follow up with a supplementary. Thank you.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

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

Return To Question 390-12(5): Purpose Of Minister Of Renewable Resources' Trip
Question 390-12(5): Purpose Of Minister Of Renewable Resources' Trip
Revert Back To Item 5: Oral Questions

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I left on Monday afternoon and spent the night in Calgary. On Tuesday I went to Ottawa by direct flight, and met with Allan Rock, the federal Minister of Justice, and talked to him about a number of things. One, is the firearms agreement that this legislature has been raising concerns about. I laid out the issues to him in a very direct way, and he said that he was going to go to Cabinet to see if we could get an extension, in view of the arguments that we put forward were very clear, articulate and difficult to argue against. So he seemed to have accepted our point of view that a different course or arrangement may need to be made here in the north. So on the firearms thing it looks hopeful. Perhaps by later today or Monday I will have a more firm response to it.

I made an issue with them regarding a fourth judge for the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories. If we could agree that a fourth judge was to be appointed, we should be involved in the consultation, so it isn't done just by Ottawa and he has agreed to that. We argued that if there was a fourth judge, we should prepare for Nunavut by making changes and adding specific wording in the order in council that that judge would reside in Iqaluit, since presently legislation says all judges of the Supreme Court have to reside within 30 kilometres of Yellowknife. So we have agreement with him on that as well.

There are other points I raised with him, but to be honest, I am without notes here. Those I am sure will come back to me if I stand here long enough, but I am trying to keep question period short.

I attended a Ministers' meeting the following day. I attended an evening get-together hosted by the Minister and engaged in social chit-chat, which is rare for me since I prefer to just do business. I actually lasted a whole hour. I thought I was doing exceptionally well.

There was a meeting the following day where we dealt with a number of issues. Many of the commitments made by the Liberal government, as I said, in their red book, they brought forward and said these are the things we intend to do. They are intending to move immediately on the Young Offenders Act, it is not 100 percent certain they will move immediately, but their political intention is to do that. They have had discussions about what to do with violent offenders, high risk offenders. What do we do with people like that? We talked about legislation and whether or not we are discriminating against gays and homosexuals and not providing the same benefits to them. We had discussions about aboriginal justice, community justice and there is a political agreement that aboriginal justice is not going to be just an isolated agenda item on Ministers' conference from now on, but will be understood to be a part of all the issues laid out for Ministers from now on. So all justice issues will be understood to have a parallel aboriginal perspective that must be addressed.

There were appointments of the judiciary raised by Quebec. There were a number of other concerns. Like I say, I don't have my notes so I cannot speak at great length. I will provide a more detailed statement on Monday. Thank you.

Return To Question 390-12(5): Purpose Of Minister Of Renewable Resources' Trip
Question 390-12(5): Purpose Of Minister Of Renewable Resources' Trip
Revert Back To Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Supplementary To Question 390-12(5): Purpose Of Minister Of Renewable Resources' Trip
Question 390-12(5): Purpose Of Minister Of Renewable Resources' Trip
Revert Back To Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 860

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for his answer. There is only one outstanding problem that we all have and that is the new federal law on firearms that is going to be made law and activated by April 1. I know the Minister indicated that the federal Minister is receptive to his arguments on all our behalf in the north and that there might be an extension. If the regulation is to be enforced as of the regulation date, how soon can we know for sure if we have an extension on that? What will happen is with this new regulation, you have to do a number of things to store your firearms, which many aboriginal people I know have never done in their lives. So we will have to buy steel cases and that will be difficult to do by April 1. How soon will we know for sure whether we are going to have an extension? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 390-12(5): Purpose Of Minister Of Renewable Resources' Trip
Question 390-12(5): Purpose Of Minister Of Renewable Resources' Trip
Revert Back To Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

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

Further Return To Question 390-12(5): Purpose Of Minister Of Renewable Resources' Trip
Question 390-12(5): Purpose Of Minister Of Renewable Resources' Trip
Revert Back To Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 860

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Minister was very understanding and open to the suggestion we made, which was to try to delay the implementation of that regulation until the fall. That would give us time to look at alternative arrangements. While we support the safety element of the national firearms course and the test, we do not agree that firearms have anything to do with most people in the Northwest Territories. At least in the case of handguns, muskets and rifles from previous centuries. I raised a number of specific points in the course and the book itself to illustrate the point. As I said, I hope by Monday, if not today, we should have a definite answer. He had indicated the following day he was going to have a definite answer to us, but that didn't happen. It should be noted by the Members as well that when the Ministers discussed it, there was a lot of support for the notion that we should look at prohibiting handguns for use in Canada, rather than tinker with regulations simply restricting them. The suggestion was the use of handguns, per se, have no place in a firearms safety course in Canada, since the majority of us use only rifles and it is for hunting. Handguns are not in the same category whatsoever with people who use firearms and, therefore, we should not be compelled to know about handguns in order to continue using firearms the way we have. There were a number of Ministers who stood up on Wednesday and said as far as they were concerned we should look at doing away with firearms and their use in Canada. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 390-12(5): Purpose Of Minister Of Renewable Resources' Trip
Question 390-12(5): Purpose Of Minister Of Renewable Resources' Trip
Revert Back To Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 860

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Item 6, written questions. Item 7, returns to written questions. Item 8, replies to opening address. Item 9, petitions. Item 10, reports of standing and special committees. Item 11, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 12, tabling of documents. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Lewis.

Item 12: Tabling Of Documents
Item 12: Tabling Of Documents

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Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I wish to table, Tabled Document 51-12(5), called Recall of MLAs. It reflects what I have heard going on around me over the last year. It seems to support many of the initiatives of this government. I would like to have it discussed in Fort Smith.

Item 12: Tabling Of Documents
Item 12: Tabling Of Documents

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 12, tabling of documents. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Zoe.

Item 12: Tabling Of Documents
Item 12: Tabling Of Documents

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Henry Zoe

Henry Zoe North Slave

Madam Speaker, I would like to table Tabled Document 52-12(5), which is a resolution from the Dogrib Treaty 11 Council and that was passed at their Lac La Martre meeting on January 27, 1994. It is pertaining to the support for Rae Lakes traditional community government research project. Thank you.

Item 12: Tabling Of Documents
Item 12: Tabling Of Documents

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 12, tabling of documents. Item 13, notices of motion. Item 14, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Item 15, motions. Item 16, first reading of bills. The honourable Member for Hay River, Mr. Pollard.

Bill 20: An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, No. 2
Item 16: First Reading Of Bills

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John Pollard Hay River

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Good morning. Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Baffin Central, that Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, No. 2, be read for the first time. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Bill 20: An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, No. 2
Item 16: First Reading Of Bills

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Bill 20: An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, No. 2
Item 16: First Reading Of Bills

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An Hon. Member

Question.

Bill 20: An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, No. 2
Item 16: First Reading Of Bills

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 20 has had first reading. Item 16, first reading of bills. Item 17, second reading of bills. Item 18, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters: Bill 1, Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95; Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Wildlife Act; Bill 15, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act; Bill 17, Loan Authorization Act, 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; and, Tabled Document 34-12(5), Tradition and Change, A Strategy for Renewable Resource Development in the NWT, February 1994, with Mr. Lewis in the chair.

Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair Brian Lewis

I would like to call the committee to order. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Ng.