This is page numbers 369 - 399 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 chairman.

Further Return To Question 196-12(7): Development Of Day Care Subsidy Policy
Question 196-12(7): Development Of Day Care Subsidy Policy
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 375

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Mr. Speaker, I don't have the details of that, so I will report back to the honourable Member. It depends on the amount of money. In the case of Arctic College students, there are some students who are paying rents of $210 who receive the full amount of support for their education, and then there are some situations where there are students who are paying $900 rent, and it depends on those kinds of circumstances. So, I will report back the details. The problem is that without specific information it is very hard to determine, but I will advise the honourable Member and Members of the House more appropriately and probably in a written statement on that matter.

Further Return To Question 196-12(7): Development Of Day Care Subsidy Policy
Question 196-12(7): Development Of Day Care Subsidy Policy
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 375

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Antoine.

Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

February 28th, 1995

Page 375

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Finance. Without a doubt, the new federal budget will require him to examine ways of living within our means when projected cuts to federal financing are realized next year. This may include downsizing many of our own government departments. At the same time, cuts to federal programs may mean that some of the government services that are important to northerners, possibly in terms of environmental protection, transportation and social programs, will be substantially unavailable. There may be pressures on the Government of the Northwest Territories to pick up the pieces and take on new responsibilities before we had planned to do so. These are issues that will affect all northerners. Does the Minister plan to consult with northern leaders and the public at large in planning our government's response to the fundamental change that is represented by yesterday's federal budget? Mahsi.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Return To Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

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John Pollard Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, the Member raises a good point. We are stuck with an impact upon us fiscally that has caught us in an election year, and there may be some people who say that we don't have a mandate and make any changes at the present time. But, certainly, the people of the Northwest Territories are going to be affected by the federal budget that was announced and by the impacts it is going to have on us in future years. I think it's incumbent upon us to have some kind of consultation process to say to people, similar to the way the Liberal government did with pre-budget consultations, what do you think? What are the services that are not important to you or what are the services that are most important to you? What do you think of these programs, et cetera.

So, yes, I will come back to the House with some means of having consultations with people in the Northwest Territories. But I will advise you, Mr. Speaker, and advise this House that I wouldn't be getting into $500,000 consultation fees. We just don't have that money to spend. I will attempt to find a way to allow people in the Northwest Territories to express their opinions to the government and, hence, to this House on the way they view any budget changes that may take place in the next few years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 375

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Supplementary To Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 375

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

I like what the Minister had to say about this. I'm certain, Mr. Speaker, that there are many leaders in the north, elders, business people and other residents of the communities, who will have ideas about areas that should and shouldn't be cut back if the Northwest Territories receives less money from the federal government. How can these people make the Minister aware of their opinion and how can they tell

the Minister what changes they think this government should make under these new financial conditions? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 376

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Pollard.

Further Return To Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 376

John Pollard Hay River

As I said, Mr. Speaker, I will come up with some method of doing that. First of all, knowing that we are on television right now and being broadcast at some time today across the Northwest Territories, I would encourage members of the general public to get a hold of their MLAs. That's the first and best pipeline to get to the Government of the Northwest Territories, to talk to MLAs. In the meantime, if there are specific questions that need to be answered by the government, then they could just call my office.

Secondly, with regard to how we would consult, I will look at that situation, Mr. Speaker, and try to find an economical way to allow people to have input into any changes that may occur. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 376

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Supplementary To Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 376

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister identify where the lead responsibility will be within the government and the public service for the shaping of our plan for responding to this federal budget? Mahsi.

Supplementary To Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 376

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Pollard.

Further Return To Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 376

John Pollard Hay River

Mr. Speaker, the responsibility falls to the Financial Management Board. It is all of Cabinet sitting as the Financial Management Board who will shape the responses to these fiscal pressures. Usually, under their direction, I incorporate some kind of plan to go out and discuss things with the department. The point man on that is usually Lew Voytilla who works with the other deputy ministers to bring back to FMB any information required for them to make decisions. I would say that FMBS will be the prime leader in this, backed up by the rest of the departments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Question 197-12(7): Public Consultation Re Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 376

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Lewis.

Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today's Yellowknifer puts our Finance Minister and a very famous Roman politician who lived 2,000 years ago in the same headline. About 2,000 years ago a Roman senator called Cicero said we have to lessen dependence on government, get people to work and get the economy moving. We can't have all these handouts, we have to create our own wealth. Mr. Pollard, I'm sure, should be very happy to see that comparison.

Since, in his budget address, he has pointed out that what we have to do is encourage our economy and in light of the letter I read this morning, Mr. Speaker, about mining companies giving up because this isn't seen as a good place to do business, what did this government do in this budget in order to make it more attractive for all the money in the south to come into the territories? Is there anything in this budget to make it attractive for those people to operate here?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Return To Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 376

John Pollard Hay River

Mr. Speaker, I think we did a number of things. We didn't raise taxes and we didn't raise corporate taxes. We said we wanted to get control of the resources in the Northwest Territories which we believe will cut out some of this duplication. Right now, companies have to deal with us, they have to deal with sometimes two or three departments in Ottawa, and by the time they get to us, it must be very difficult for them. In the budget speech, we said that if Mr. Todd is able to make an arrangement and we are able to take over the northern accord, we would be understanding of these companies' desire to have a system which is less bureaucratic and more prone to making decisions quickly and with less paperwork.

We have been lobbied by mining companies and they've told us how difficult it is. I think what we were saying in the budget speech is if we take over responsibility, we have got to make it more efficient and recognize that these people need to get on with their business, as opposed to fighting with the government all the time. That's the message we were trying to send, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Return To Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 376

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Supplementary To Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 376

Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's fine to say, yes, we'll eventually get an accord so we can share in the wealth. But, what if there isn't any produced and people aren't going to come here because it is so difficult. Since this is the budget session and we're talking about economics, I would like to ask the Minister of Finance a question, although he may want to defer it to another Minister. I understand that one of the big problems that many of the companies that would like to put in millions of dollars into this part of the world experience is the problem of tenure. How much certainty of tenure do companies have in doing work here with all this debate going on about who owns what?

Supplementary To Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 376

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Pollard.

Further Return To Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 376

John Pollard Hay River

Mr. Speaker, I agree that it is confusing, particularly for people who come from board rooms where the dollar on the bottom line is the big deal. They make decisions on millions of dollars by fax and telephone. They are used to

doing business very, very quickly. They are used to

being told that yes, they own, they have the land, it is free hold title, or it's theirs for 50 years, et cetera. Then they come to the Northwest Territories and see the different stages of land claim negotiations that aboriginal people are in with the federal government and they start to worry about tenure.

Mr. Speaker, I have to say this. To my knowledge, there has never been a mining company kicked off a piece of property by someone in the Northwest Territories. There may have been some influence put on them such as: "You are on our land, so we expect you to hire some of our people." That's straight economics. I've yet to listen to an aboriginal group who are not going to respect leases that are already out there. I think it's more confusion on behalf of the mining companies than anything else. I've yet to see anything concrete that has risked their investment in the Northwest Territories.

Perhaps we have a role to play there. Perhaps we need to be the ball that bounces between the people who have claims on the land and the people who want to do business in the Northwest Territories. Maybe there's a mediation role that we can play. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 377

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Supplementary To Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 377

Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will give one example just this morning of somebody who has a claim on Victoria Island who can't develop it because of the uncertainty of tenure and so on. To keep that claim alive, you have to pay money every year and get so much work done, otherwise it lapses. That's one example. I would like to ask the same Minister, although we're very much interested in revenue, companies are also interested in revenue. Does the government have any kind of role to play in making it more attractive for companies to operate here? For example, by giving them a reduction in the kinds of taxes they have to pay because the initial costs are so very heavy? Have you given any thought at all to helping people during the start-up period so that it's easier to phase in by giving some kind of tax holiday for a year or two? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 377

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Pollard.

Further Return To Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Question 198-12(7): Incentives For Southern Companies To Come North
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 377

John Pollard Hay River

Mr. Speaker, there is some controversy across Canada right now because there is a very aggressive province on the east coast that is attracting people from as far away as BC by giving out certain tax holidays or certain concessions. It would be my contention that governments aren't very good at this kind of thing, Mr. Speaker. If something is there to make a profit and people are going to be hired, et cetera, it probably doesn't need government help, other than the fact that tax rates should be competitive with the rest of Canada. There shouldn't be any reason to give these people an advantage to go and dig something out of the ground. It should be an all-round economic advantage for the owners, for the people who work there, and for the people who live and die in the Northwest Territories.

Yes, we have looked at giving tax holidays. Yes, we have looked at giving incentives. The only thing that I would be prepared to suggest at the present time, Mr. Speaker, is some kind of payment to companies that will hire people from the Northwest Territories and train those people. I believe that Mr. Nerysoo has been looking at that, but that would be the only thing I would suggest at the present time, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.