This is page numbers 401 - 429 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 election.

Supplementary To Question 216-12(7): Successful Bidder On Tourism Industry Review Proposal
Question 216-12(7): Successful Bidder On Tourism Industry Review Proposal
Item 6: Oral Questions

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John Todd Keewatin Central

I can't speculate on rumours. I can only tell you that perhaps it would be better for me to take the question as notice and report back to the honourable Member. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 216-12(7): Successful Bidder On Tourism Industry Review Proposal
Question 216-12(7): Successful Bidder On Tourism Industry Review Proposal
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Todd. With regard to the Minister's response, I would like to tell the Members that Minister's can't confirm a rumour. Ministers can only respond to facts. Final supplementary...I'm sorry, Mr. Koe, I believe the Minister took your question as notice. Item 6, oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Renewable Resources. I would like to ask the Minister if he can confirm, on the recent contract awarded to Buffalo Airways for addressing fire suppression this year in the Northwest Territories, whether the contract requirement called for the usage of DC-4s or DC-6s. Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Renewable Resources, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Return To Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Silas Arngna'naaq Kivallivik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the question would be better answered by the Department of Public Works and Services.

With regard to Renewable Resources, we have indicated to the department which is the appropriate department to hand out the contract, that our requirements for firefighting should be able to meet the needs of the fire situations that we have in the Northwest Territories. To my understanding, we have not given a clear indication as to what type of aircraft will be required in terms of firefighting. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Supplementary To Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister this: is it the responsibility of the department that addresses fire suppression to determine what type of aircraft they require to address fire suppression? Is it not his department's mandate? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Further Return To Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Silas Arngna'naaq Kivallivik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, it is the responsibility of the Department of Renewable Resources. However, we gave a minimum standard that is required for firefighting in the Northwest Territories that we would be willing to accept. This was relayed to the Department of Public Works. We showed that DC-4s, which are at the present time being proposed to be used for the summer, will be sufficient and will be able to carry out the firefighting in the Northwest Territories this coming summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Supplementary To Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess the Minister has now answered the first question I had posed to him.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday I tabled a document in this House; an evaluation of the appropriateness of the current fire suppression methodology, study 8. The department has expended an excessive amount of money to get this study, I think to the tune of just about $225,000. In this study, section 8 is on DC-4s versus DC-8s. There is a list of disadvantages of using DC-4s over DC-6s. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask why the Minister has allowed his department not to adhere to the study recommendations that his department commissioned last year. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Further Return To Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Silas Arngna'naaq Kivallivik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The study that was conducted by a firm which was contracted to consult with various contractors in the Northwest Territories as well as the people in the Northwest Territories was exactly that, a consultant who would make recommendations to the government, of which the government has the option to take, to use as they so please. This is the way that I, as the Minister of Renewable Resources, took the recommendations. I took them as recommendations, have taken a look at the requirements of firefighting management in Fort Smith. I was advised that it would be acceptable to use DC-4s. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Supplementary To Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the Minister is basically indicating that the recommendations from this consulting firm may be used whenever he determines they should be used, as he has indicated, as the Minister. I would like to ask, after spending just about $225,000 commissioning this report -- and this report basically indicates that the extra cost for using DC-4s would be $500,000 more -- why is he expending public funds on a report which recommended against using DC-4s? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Further Return To Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Silas Arngna'naaq Kivallivik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The acceptance of the contracts that were let recently was not necessarily my decision, it was a decision made by Cabinet. So I'm not able to say how that was let. However, I am willing to say that it was advised by the Department of Renewable Resources that a minimum requirement to carry out this contract was to be able to use DC-4s. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Question 217-12(7): Confirmation Of Aircraft Requirement In Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Patterson.

Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Yesterday I asked the Minister about how new leases will be developed and how rent will be collected under the new social housing rent scale. The Minister answered that the Housing Corporation "will be working with local housing authorities to enable them to develop plans on how to collect the rents and to develop leases." Mr. Speaker, this implies that the work has yet to be done. My question, Mr. Speaker, to the Minister is with the new rent scale coming into effect April 1st -- less than one month away -- how can the new rents be implemented if the work has yet to be done to develop leases and determine how to collect rents from the whole household? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Morin.

Return To Question 218-12(7): Implementation Of New Rent Scale
Question 218-12(7): Implementation Of New Rent Scale
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A lot of the work has been done already. I've noticed, and other Members have noticed, that there have been TV ads and ads in the newspaper. All clients who are affected should have already received the documentation advising them of the new rent scale. There have been workshops held with the districts as well as with the local housing authorities on the new rent scales. So, the work is in process. What I hear is it is going along quite well and it should be brought in on time. Thank you.

Return To Question 218-12(7): Implementation Of New Rent Scale
Question 218-12(7): Implementation Of New Rent Scale
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Supplementary To Question 218-12(7): Implementation Of New Rent Scale
Question 218-12(7): Implementation Of New Rent Scale
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge that the Housing Corporation is working hard on implementing this new regime, but my understanding is that workshops for district staff, not to mention local housing authority staff, were only held in the Baffin within the last two weeks and that there's a whole plethora of new and complicated forms which are involved. My question to the Minister, Mr. Speaker, is how much notice will be given to the tenants of the new forms, procedures and tenant agreements that are going to be in place April 1st? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 218-12(7): Implementation Of New Rent Scale
Question 218-12(7): Implementation Of New Rent Scale
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Morin.

Further Return To Question 218-12(7): Implementation Of New Rent Scale
Question 218-12(7): Implementation Of New Rent Scale
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe 30 days notice has to be given to tenants whenever you change the rent and that will be done. Thank you.