This is page numbers 281 - 307 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 7th 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 development.

Topics

Question 169-12(7): Licensing Of Cb Radios
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Renewable Resources, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Return To Question 169-12(7): Licensing Of Cb Radios
Question 169-12(7): Licensing Of Cb Radios
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Silas Arngna'naaq Kivallivik

(Translation) The question that my colleague is raising, I have checked into. I gave him a written reply that the federal government Department of Communications would be able to look into this. Thank you.

Return To Question 169-12(7): Licensing Of Cb Radios
Question 169-12(7): Licensing Of Cb Radios
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Item 6, oral questions. Item 7, written questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my written question is to the Premier. Dene Metis Holdings requested numerous times for an extension to the government regarding the provision of aircraft firefighting services.

Would the Premier advise this House as to why the government did not respond in any manner to the Dene Metis Holdings request to formally extend negotiations? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, replies to budget address. Mr. Lewis.

Item 10: Replies To Budget Address
Item 10: Replies To Budget Address

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Lewis's Reply

Item 10: Replies To Budget Address
Item 10: Replies To Budget Address

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Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is an address in response to our Finance Minister's budget address. There may be other Members, too, who would be interested in what I have to say.

Mr. Speaker, when times are tough, it is not easy to be a Finance Minister. Since we depend on the Government of Canada for 72 per cent of our budget, any dilution of federal contributions really hurts us. We have had four successive years of deficit budgets. This is a reflection of unforeseeable expenditures, but mostly because of federal refusal to meet its commitments and also because of additional cutbacks.

Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, I would like to report to you, a second person contacted me to join the lobby for a spring election. Members will recall that on Monday I had indicated the public was suspicious about rumblings for a spring election. People like to have very good, solid reasons for the things we do here. Well, Mr. Speaker, a very well-known Fort Smith consultant supplied me yesterday, with a good, solid reason people seem to be searching for. He indicated that four successive annual deficit budgets should be a good enough reason for a vote of non-confidence in this government.

Mr. Speaker, I have been a big supporter of balanced budgets. During the 11th Assembly, on a few occasions, I did compliment the then-Minister of Finance, Mr. Ballantyne. It was to compliment him on keeping under control some of the trigger-happy Members of the Cabinet who wanted to borrow a few hundred dollars to build needed infrastructure. There are some Members here who will recall that. So he must be blushing that today, at least, I compliment him for keeping that expenditure under control while he was the Minister of Finance.

The pressure was resisted, Mr. Speaker, and we now have a fiscal position as a government which, although it proposes a small deficit, most provinces would envy the position we find ourselves in. Our deficit is not the horror show some would like to make it out to be. Some Members are now waiting until next week to see whether Mr. Martin's budget will have a major impact on us, before they reply to the budget address. Members should be aware that for this budget we have before us, there is an agreement for the next fiscal year that there are no changes in our formula funding agreement.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say, unconditionally, that I have confidence in the Minister of Finance. He has done a very good job in very difficult times and I fully support him and his efforts in managing our fiscal affairs.

One of the problems in our system is that it is very difficult to construct a budget that can be anything more than a survival budget. Restraint -- and the document is very clear on this -- is the main fiscal objective. Nevertheless, there are signs of shaping our priorities under the envelope system. The emphasis on developing our human resources is very welcome because without this major economic development, we really remain an empty promise, we really need a well-trained workforce in order to take advantage of our economic potential.

Protection of our health and social network is also an objective in this budget, although I know Members would like to see it expanded.

One aspect that I find inconsistent, however, is the clear message that we must be prepared to be more self-reliant. Yet this budget contains several measures that will curtail, rather than advance, our economic development. It is no good to say that it was the envelope committee that made me do it. If we are truly to become more self-reliant, the economy needs a boost and not a kick in the pants, Mr. Speaker. We all know that these various fees that are being levied and proposed or increased are really hidden taxes. And the Minister can expect some debate on this particular aspect of his budget.

I have one more final appeal to make to this government, Mr. Speaker; and Mr. Ballantyne and others have all ready referred to it. Without some kind of northern agreement, a northern accord or mineral agreement, the north is doomed. I am not just talking about this government, I am talking about all northerners. Whatever level of government we are talking about, we are doomed; simply because unless we get some way of which we can generate our own wealth, we are going to be squeezing water out of the same stones. Unless we can get more to do to create more wealth, we are going to be stuck where we are and we are going to die the death of a thousand cuts.

As other Members have pointed out, Confederation is continually changing. Provinces will control more and more of their own destinies. I don't believe, however, that Quebec will separate. In fact, I'm confident of it. But the demands of Quebec will be altered by other provinces, as well, and will be echoed throughout the country as each province wants to have the same. This will directly affect the role of the federal government.

We've already felt the effect of federal cutbacks. We can't expect them to continue, over the next few years, to provide us with the kinds of services that we have automatically come to expect, as we were still under the wardship or the guardianship of the federal government.

In my opinion, Mr. Speaker, it would pay all northerners to urge Mr. Todd -- because he's a key player in this -- to get this accord signed this summer. I know that many people are afraid of it or are concerned about it, but there are many other groups that are afraid of whatever motives there may be and whether they are good or bad. But the overall motive should be to provide some kind of protection for all northerners so we're not stuck as a have-not with no potential to grow and no potential to reduce our reliance on the federal government.

That's why we need this summer, Mr. Speaker, it's absolutely essential. We need this summer for Mr. Todd and his colleagues, where they don't have the continual pressure all the time to do this and to do that, to set some priorities to get us in good shape so as we go into the next fiscal year, in 1996, we know that at least we have some degree of certainty about where our future is going to lie.

Item 10: Replies To Budget Address
Item 10: Replies To Budget Address

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An Hon. Member

Hear, hear.

Item 10: Replies To Budget Address
Item 10: Replies To Budget Address

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Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Diamonds are important, very important, as Mr. Ballantyne continually points out. But without an accord, we remain just bit players, just not very important at all. Unless we have an agreement as to how we're going to develop, it's meaningless. All the activity is meaningless to us if we continue to have the same kind of dependence on the federal government.

I would also urge Mr. Todd -- and I can't stress this enough, Mr. Speaker, because it's another part of the equation -- to make sure we have in place a sustainable development policy. Because if we don't have that, the north will continue to be a battleground where the environmentalists and the industrialists are going to be fighting it out and there are going to be groups from all over the world wanting to join in the fray because we don't have our act together. We should have a policy on sustainable development so that I can say, no, I'm not an environmentalist, I am a person who supports sustainable development. I'm in favour of development, like everybody else, but it can't be a battleground any more, where we have armies fighting against each other on each side of the equation. If we don't get this accord and we don't get a sustainable development policy, the federal government knows quite well now as it sits there with a huge proposal in front of it, that the challenge it faces is to get some headway in helping development in our part of the world without doing it in a way that will antagonize the World Wildlife Fund and the Sierra Club and all the other groups around the world that are just waiting for the chance to jump in. So we should support all those initiatives right now to do those two things: the northern accord of one kind or another, whatever we can get that makes sense to us; and also, a sustainable development policy so we don't end up having huge fights up here which nobody wants and will be debilitating and I think will end up destroying all the good efforts that we've made to date. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 10: Replies To Budget Address
Item 10: Replies To Budget Address

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Item 10, replies to budget address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Mr. Pollard.

Item 14: Tabling Of Documents
Item 14: Tabling Of Documents

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John Pollard Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table Tabled Document 22-12(7), the Public Accounts for the Northwest Territories, 1993-94, volumes I and II, Consolidated and Non-Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended March 31, 1994. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 14: Tabling Of Documents
Item 14: Tabling Of Documents

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. As required, I would like to table Tabled Document 23-12(7), the Consolidated Financial Statement of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the year ending March 31, 1994, as reported by the Auditor General of Canada.

Item 14, tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions: Motion 10-12(7), Impact of Federal Gun Control

Legislation, will stand down until Monday. Item 18, first reading of bills. Ms. Cournoyea.

Bill 17: An Act To Amend The Nursing Profession Act
Item 18: First Reading Of Bills

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River, that Bill 17, an Act to Amend the Nursing Profession Act, be read for the first time.

Bill 17: An Act To Amend The Nursing Profession Act
Item 18: First Reading Of Bills

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

Bill 17: An Act To Amend The Nursing Profession Act
Item 18: First Reading Of Bills

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An Hon. Member

Question.

Bill 17: An Act To Amend The Nursing Profession Act
Item 18: First Reading Of Bills

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Question has been called. All those in favour? We don't have a quorum. Can the Clerk ring the bells, please?

The Speaker recognizes a quorum. We have a motion on the floor on Bill 17. To the motion.

Bill 17: An Act To Amend The Nursing Profession Act
Item 18: First Reading Of Bills

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An Hon. Member

Question.

Bill 17: An Act To Amend The Nursing Profession Act
Item 18: First Reading Of Bills

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

---Carried

Bill 17 has had first reading. Item 18, first reading of bills. Mr. Kakfwi.

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, that Bill 16, an Act to Amend the Retirement Plan Beneficiaries Act, be read for the first time.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

An Hon. Member

Question.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

---Carried

Bill 16 has had first reading. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters: Bill 1, Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1995-96; Committee Report 2-12(7), Report on the Legislative Action Paper on the Office of Ombudsman for the Northwest Territories; Committee Report 3-12(7), Report on the Review of the Legislative Action Paper Proposing New Heritage Legislation for the Northwest Territories; and, Committee Report 4-12(7), Report on the Review of the 1995-96 Main Estimates, with Mr. Lewis in the chair.

Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair Brian Lewis

I will call the committee to order. We are on item 20, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters. What would the committee like to do? Mr. Dent.

Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: 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 recommend to the committee that we continue with Committee Report 4-12(7) and Bill 1.

Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair Brian Lewis

Are you all agreed?