This is page numbers 503 - 531 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 land.

Topics

Clerk Of The House Mr. David Hamilton

Madam Speaker, Return to Written Question 4-12(5), asked by Mr. Gargan to the chairman of the Financial Management Board concerning commuting allowances for government employees.

Mr. Gargan asked if the government provides a commuting allowance for employees who must travel from their homes in Apex or Hay River to their workplaces in Iqaluit or Enterprise, respectively. The government does not provide a commuting allowance in that situation. Generally, employees choose where they wish to live and it is their responsibility to get to their workplace. The government does not compensate for this. However, in specific circumstances, a commuting allowance is paid. It is provided to employees in the Union of Northern Workers bargaining unit who are required to travel to a work site that is over eight kilometres from a settlement. In these circumstances, employees are paid duty travel kilometre rates. An example of this would be where an employee who lives in Fort Smith has to travel to a camp ten kilometres down the highway from Fort Smith.

Clerk Of The House Mr. David Hamilton

Return to Written Question 14-12(5), asked by Mr. Dent to the Minister of Health, concerning the rates for hospitalization outside of Canada.

The current daily rate, paid by the Government of the Northwest Territories for an out of Canada insured hospital day is $2,196. This rate was last changed in 1992. This rate is calculated by averaging the daily rate for all Northwest Territories' hospitals. The Department of Health is currently collecting data which will be used to evaluate the established out of Canada daily rate.

As stated in the Canada Health Act, 6 II (1) "In order to satisfy the criterion respecting portability, the health care insurance plan of a province (b) must provide for and be administered and operated so as to provide for the payment of amounts for the cost of insured health services provided to insured persons while temporarily absent from the province on the basis that (ii) where the health insured services are provided out of Canada, payment is made on the basis of the amount that would have been paid by the province for similar services rendered in the province, with due regard, in the case of hospital services, to the size of the hospital, standards of service and other relevant factors."

The Northwest Territories Medical Care Act, medical care regulations section 4 states:

"(1)Subject to subsection (2) and (3) the benefits payable in respect of insured services that are rendered outside of Canada shall not exceed the benefits listed in the Schedule for services rendered within the Territories.

"(2)Under subsection 4 (3) of the Act, the Director may pay benefits in respect of insured services rendered outside of Canada

(a) where

(i)insured and required medical treatment is not available within Canada, and

(ii)the patient has been referred to a medical practitioner outside of Canada with the prior approval from the Director; or

(b)where in the opinion of the Director, circumstances exist which warrant medical treatment outside of Canada.

"(3)The benefits payable under subsection (2) may exceed the benefits prescribed in these regulations for insured services rendered within the Territories but shall not exceed the amount billed for the insured services rendered."

The Speaker

Thank you. 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. Item 13, notices of motion. Item 14, notices of motions for first reading of bills. The House will recess for 15 minutes.

---SHORT BREAK

The Speaker

I'll call the House back to order. Item 15, motions. The honourable Member for Inuvik, Mr. Koe.

Fred Koe Inuvik

Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River, that when this House adjourns on Friday, March 4, 1994, it shall be adjourned until Monday, March 14, 1994;

AND FURTHER, that any time prior to March 14, 1994 if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time.

The Speaker

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

An Hon. Member

Question.

The Speaker

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

---Carried

Item 15, motions. Mr. Lewis.

Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

WHEREAS, Motion 14-12(5) established the Special Joint Committee on Division;

AND WHEREAS, it is important that Members be named to the Special Joint Committee on Division;

AND WHEREAS, the terms of reference have been approved by the Legislative Assembly; AND WHEREAS, the terms of reference should be amended to address the number of alternates that can be appointed to the Special Joint Committee on Division;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that the terms of reference of the special joint committee be amended to allow for ten (10) alternate Members, comprised of four (4) ordinary Members and six (6) Ministers;

AND FURTHER THAT, notwithstanding rule 88(2), that the following Members be appointed to the Special Joint Committee on Division:

as permanent members: Mr. Allooloo, the Member for Amittuq; Mr. Patterson, the Member for Iqaluit; Mr. Ng, the Member for Kitikmeot; Mr. Antoine, the Member for Nahendeh; Mr. Ballantyne, the Member for Yellowknife North; Mr. Koe, the Member for Inuvik; the Honourable John Pollard, the Member for Hay River; and, the Honourable John Todd, the Member for Keewatin Central.

Mr. Arvaluk, the Member for Aivilik; Mr. Pudluk, the Member for High Arctic; Mr. Gargan, the Member for Deh Cho; Mr. Zoe, the Member for North Slave; the Honourable Silas Arngna'naaq, the Member for Kivallivik; the Honourable Nellie Cournoyea, the Member for Nunakput; the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, the Member for Sahtu; the Honourable Rebecca Mike, the Member for Baffin Central; the Honourable Don Morin, the Member for Tu Nedhe; and, the Honourable Richard Nerysoo, the Member for Mackenzie Delta.

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Lewis. There was one section you didn't record into the record. You indicated the permanent Members, however, you didn't state, "And, as alternate Members." If you would like to correct the record, please.

Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Before Mr. Arvaluk, I meant to say, "and as alternate Members," and the list continued from there. Thank you, very much.

The Speaker

Thank you. I recognize that the seconder for your motion is not in the House. I would like to ask if you could ask for another seconder. Seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South. The motion is in order. To the motion.

An Hon. Member

Question.

The Speaker

Question has been called. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I support the motion, but I would like to make one small amendment. That is, to delete the third line of alternate Members.

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Gargan. The chair does not have a copy of the amendment and requires a copy and translation. If I may ask you to provide that to this House. The House will recess for two minutes until we get an amendment. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Madam Speaker, I'll withdraw the amendment.

The Speaker

Thank you. The amendment is withdrawn. The initial motion is in order. To the motion.

An Hon. Member

Question.

The Speaker

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

---Carried

Item 15, motions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

WHEREAS, northern cultures of the Dene, Metis and Inuit are based on hunting, trapping and fishing;

AND WHEREAS, these activities are healthy occupations, mentally, physically and spiritually;

AND WHEREAS, these activities also contribute to the economy of the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS, wild fur sold to Europe after 1994 must meet the requirements of the new European community regulation 3254/91 which are that countries must band the leg hold trap or use trapping methods that meet international humane trapping standards;

AND WHEREAS, countries may apply for a one year suspension of the regulation if they can demonstrate sufficient progress in meeting the requirements of the regulation;

AND WHEREAS, this Legislative Assembly supports humane trapping methods and northern trappers have made significant progress in meeting this regulation;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for High Arctic, that this Legislative Assembly requests the Government of Canada to take immediate actions to prevent an embargo of Canadian wild fur in Europe in 1994;

AND FURTHER, that the Minister of Renewable Resources request the federal Minister of the Environment to place this issue on the agenda of the G7 Environment Ministers meeting to be held in Italy in March 1994;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the Minister of Renewable Resources also request the federal Minister of the Environment to meet with European Environment Ministers on the European fur import regulation;

AND FURTHERMORE, that a delegation comprised of the Minister of Renewable Resources, representative Members of the Legislative Assembly and the Members of the Parliament for Nunatsiaq and the Western Arctic accompany the federal Minister of the Environment; AND FURTHERMORE, that this motion be conveyed to the Prime Minister of Canada, all Members of the Canadian Parliament, all Members of the European Parliament and the Ministers of the Environment for the European Union.

The Speaker

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I think everyone in this room agrees with the intent of this motion. In fact, Madam Speaker, this government has made a concentrated effort compared to some of the other jurisdictions in Canada to deal with the complaints of the anti-fur trapping lobby.

Over the past four years, we have spent, as a government, over $900,000 buying 70,000 quick kill traps to trade with trappers for their less humane, old-style leghold traps.

In addition, Madam Speaker, this government has spent approximately $1 million providing education to the trappers on the trapper use of the quick kill trap. Madam Speaker, I do not think that anyone from the European Parliament can deny that we have done more than just a token effort to address these problems.

There may still be some leghold traps in use in the Northwest Territories, but it must be remembered on both sides that traps are hard to get a hold of due to the increased demand brought on by the fur industry's positive response to the European Parliament demands.

As soon as the Department of Renewable Resources has enough quick kill traps to replace all the leghold traps, it will be done. Madam Speaker, I urge the Members to support this motion. Let us send a strong message that we, as a government, are doing everything possible to address the problems associated with the fur industry and do not deserve to have an embargo placed upon fur exports. Mahsi Cho.

---Applause

The Speaker

To the motion.

An Hon. Member

Question.