This is page numbers 1135 - 1164 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 report.

Topics

Members Present

Mr. Allooloo, Mr. Antoine, Hon. Silas Arngna'naaq, Mr. Ballantyne, Hon. Nellie Cournoyea, Mr. Dent, Hon. Samuel Gargan, Hon. Stephen Kakfwi, Mr. Koe, Mr. Lewis, Mrs. Marie-Jewell, Ms. Mike, Hon. Don Morin, Hon. Richard Nerysoo, Hon. Kelvin Ng, Mr. Ningark, Mr. Patterson, Hon. John Pollard, Mr. Pudlat, Mr. Pudluk, Mrs. Thompson, Hon. John Todd, Mr. Whitford, Mr. Zoe

---Prayer

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

Page 1135

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Merci, Mr. Lewis. Good afternoon. Orders of the day, item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Ng.

Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the NWT Association of Municipalities held their annual general meeting in Iqaluit, April 28th to May 1st.

Representing the GNWT at these meetings were the Premier and myself, as well as MLAs, Mr. Dent, Mr. Ballantyne, Mr. Zoe and Mr. Patterson. Our representation speaks to the importance the GNWT places on the role of the NWT Association of Municipalities as a collective voice for matters of concern to municipal governments.

Also in attendance at the AGM were Member of Parliament, Mr. Jack Anawak, senior representatives of the RCMP, Federation of Canadian Municipalities representatives, special guests from Goose Bay, Labrador, as well as a number of senior GNWT public servants.

The NWTAM is made up of 47 member municipalities and the association is proud to point out that they are the only provincial/territorial association with 100 per cent membership of eligible municipalities. Forty member municipalities were represented at the association's 1995 AGM, an excellent turn-out.

A highlight of this year's AGM was a two-day planning session on municipalities and the criminal justice system. Municipalities are concerned that they have the best possible local policing and protection. Discussions were far ranging on the possibilities for integrated and coordinated local policing.

As Minister of MACA, I had the opportunity to officially invite the association's participation in our review of municipal legislation, which I announced in this House on April 27th. We also agreed to the association's participation in a review of certain aspects of the municipal capital assistance policy (MCAP), particularly the formula for community ability to contribute, which determines the required levels of community contributions to capital projects.

Elections were held for the new executive of the association and I would like to congratulate Mayor Dennis Bevington of Fort Smith on being elected president of the association for the coming year.

---Applause

I would also like to congratulate other Members of the newly-elected board of directors:

Mayor Charlie Furlong, Aklavik; Mayor Joe Kunuk, Iqaluit; Mayor Garry Hubert, Fort Liard; Mayor Tabitha Kalluk, Resolute Bay; councillor Peter Kritaqliluk, Arviat; Mayor Dave Lovell, Yellowknife; Mayor Tom Zubko, Inuvik; and, councillor Vern Tordoff, Hay River. Mr. Speaker, this list attests to the representativeness of the association and its unique position as a voice for municipal governments in the NWT.

I wish to thank the association for their invitation and their hospitality. The staff of the association were helpful and always accommodating. I look forward to working with the association's board of directors and their president in the coming months. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Patterson.

Misrepresentation By Firearms Task Force
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I expressed my outrage at the sham consultations undertaken in my constituency by the federal firearms task force. Several things said by the members of that task force to my constituents were disturbing to me. Firstly, the federal representatives told my constituents that they were committed to consulting on section 110(t) of the proposed Firearms Act. They also stated that the detailed consultations will happen this fall. The implication was, don't worry if you're feeling a little

rushed today, there will still be lots of time to obtain your input this fall.

Mr. Speaker, section 110(t) allows for the making of regulations: "respecting the manner in which any provisions of this act or the regulations applies to any of the aboriginal peoples of Canada and adapting any such provision for the purposes of that application." Mr. Speaker, the federal Minister of Justice has already stated publicly in introducing this bill to the House of Commons committee that all the substantive provisions of the bill will apply to aboriginal people and that, in effect, the regulations will only allow for minor modifications in how the bill is implemented in aboriginal communities.

One example that federal officials trot out regularly is that an aboriginal person may be appointed to be a firearms officer for the purposes of registering firearms in a community. As if any aboriginal person would want that job. Compulsory registration will still be required of every firearm. The regulations may allow a local person to get the job instead of a bureaucrat.

It's very important that our people understand, Mr. Speaker, that this bill amends the criminal law. It is very clear that the criminal law cannot be amended by regulations, certainly not in the manner being suggested by the task force. It's also very important that our people know that the federal government intends to ram this bill through the House before the summer recess. According to Mr. Rock's timetable, the new bill will be law by the time the firearms task force comes back to consult my constituents this fall.

When these officials told my constituents they'd be further consulted in the fall, they did not point out that, according to their agenda, it would then be too late to make any substantive changes to the bill.

May I have consent to briefly conclude, Mr. Speaker?

Misrepresentation By Firearms Task Force
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The honourable Member for Iqaluit is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Patterson.

Misrepresentation By Firearms Task Force
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Members. It will be under two minutes tomorrow, I promise.

What matters, Mr. Speaker, is what is put in the sections of the main bill now before the House of Commons, not what minor administrative changes are made in how the bill is implemented in our aboriginal communities through regulations. This distinction was not spelled out by the firearms task force when they were in my constituency and that is why I called their so-called consultations a fraud.

Mr. Speaker, what the task force is saying to us is: trust us, but everything they are doing indicates that they absolutely cannot be trusted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Misrepresentation By Firearms Task Force
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Lewis.

Support For Nova Construction
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's very unusual for an ordinary Member to take issue with comments made by a colleague in the Ordinary Members' Caucus. We try to stay together and work together in harmony. However, the Member for Iqaluit is continuing to question the credentials of a Yellowknife businessman, and I hesitate to use his name because it's been used so many times in this House and he hasn't been able to defend himself.

But, on my initiative, I phoned him yesterday because I'm getting a little tired of hearing his name being batted around in this place with no one rising to defend him. By the way, he doesn't need a defence, but I feel an obligation to point out that Mr. Mike Mrdjenovich, in fact, is a local businessman who has contributed significantly to the progress of this city. I would like to point out, Mr. Speaker, that although piles of information have been given to the Member for Iqaluit about the operation of Nova Construction, I would like to give you a bit more information to show you what this business means to the city of Yellowknife and to the people of the Northwest Territories.

Last year, the company paid municipal taxes, $208,206; land lease, $86,403; the Iqaluit office, $82,981; expenses of the Yellowknife office, $588,032; the economic impact of all the work undertaken by this company - $7,176,079; salaries of eight full-time people in the complement in the offices, $279,000. In other words, roughly $9 million a year is the economic impact of this company in the Northwest Territories.

The total capital investment in the Northwest Territories is $35 million. We are always on about capital. We need capital. We need to grow.

This man, in fact, attracts money and activity. He is revitalizing the downtown core. In fact, the crappy -- I don't know if crappy is a bad word, Mr. Speaker -- but there were two unsightly buildings right next door to the Member for Iqaluit when he lived on that street. They have now been torn down and there are going to be beautiful new buildings right near the old arena. Everybody should be happy to know that.

Support For Nova Construction
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

---Agreed

Support For Nova Construction
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Lewis, your time is up. Mr. Lewis, are you seeking unanimous consent to continue?

Support For Nova Construction
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

I am seeking unanimous consent to continue, Mr. Speaker.

Support For Nova Construction
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Member for Yellowknife Centre is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Conclude your statement, Mr. Lewis.

---Applause

Support For Nova Construction
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is very unusual for me, Mr. Speaker, to ask for consent to continue a statement, but what I want to say I believe has to be said, because I have listened for a long time now and have been tempted to say

something. This man doesn't live in my constituency. However, he is a Yellowknife businessman, and somebody should do something.

Numbers? You want numbers so that you can call this gentleman. I will give you a whole bunch: 873-1910; 873-1577; 873-1505; 873-1602; 920-7121; 920-7131; in area code 819, 979-2554; in area code 403, 920-7141...There are two fax numbers: (819)979-2575; and the one I just referred which was 920-7141.

However, I also have listed on this paper, underlined in green, the personal number of Mr. Mrdjenovich, and because that number is confidential, I will tell the Member what it is if he wants to have it. But since it's an unlisted number, I am not at liberty to give it in this House today.

In fact, that's the problem. The problem is that he's a low bidder, and when you have that kind of competition, other people get upset. I know that in Iqaluit, for example, some people can charge $2,200 for a one-bedroom apartment and this man charges only $1,500, so people get upset by that kind of competition. They don't like it, and it comes to the floor of this House without people being aware of why people are trying to do something to undermine the credentials of this individual.

So, Mr. Speaker, now that we have all the facts on the floor, I hope that this man whose name has been dragged through this House on so many occasions will be allowed to get on with the things that he does well which are to build and build them efficiently and effectively so that the people of the Northwest Territories get value for money. Thank you.

---Applause

Support For Nova Construction
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Item 3, Members' statements. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Forest Firefighter Safety Standards
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members will recall that yesterday I had asked the Minister responsible for the forest fire management program some questions about safety and maintaining standards to ensure the safety of our firefighters. As we are probably heading into the worst forest fire season in history, such considerations are more than important. I believe they are crucial.

Mr. Speaker, the request for proposals to provide air tanker services to the forest fire management program specifically sets out the minimum standards for both the aircraft and the pilot to fly them. For pilots, the standards are primarily measured in hours flown in a particular forest fire environment.

In response to my question about these standards yesterday in the House, Mr. Morin said, and I quote from unedited Hansard: "When you go to a proposal call, you want to find out what other contractors have to offer so you can carry out similar types of business with maybe less standards."

Mr. Speaker, I find this response quite disturbing. Does this mean that the minimum number of hours of experience required for a pilot to fly a plane into the heart of a fire is not really the minimum, that it is negotiable? I certainly hope not. I understand that some of the pilots do in fact lack the necessary experience to engage in this dangerous activity and they have been practising their skills on training flights. However, training is a poor substitute for actual experienced flying and the difficult conditions associated with firefighting.

Mr. Speaker, the concerns of my constituents about safety are real. I understand that forest firefighting can be risky. However, it is the responsibility of this government to ensure that every possible precaution is taken to keep our firefighters safe.

The Bird Dog officers who are concerned about flying right now have a wealth of experience between them. This experience has helped us fight fires effectively and safely with the least possible risk to the people in the air and on the ground. If the officers have concerns...I seek unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker, to continue with my statement.

Forest Firefighter Safety Standards
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Member for Thebacha is seeking unanimous consent to continue. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Conclude your statement, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Forest Firefighter Safety Standards
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and honourable Members. If the officers have concerns, I believe the Minister should listen carefully to those concerns and try to address them. The officers are not raising them to cause trouble but because they truly believe there is a serious potential for an accident to happen.

Mr. Speaker, my constituents and I continue to have concerns about safety issues for firefighting crews. I will continue to address these concerns to the Minister until I am satisfied that he and his department have taken everything in their responsibility to minimize the risks for our hard-working fire crews that will be fighting fires in the Northwest Territories this summer. Thank you.

---Applause

Forest Firefighter Safety Standards
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mrs. Marie-Jewell. Item 3, Members' statements. Mrs. Thompson.

Manitok Thompson Aivilik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to discuss an issue which is of great concern to the people of my constituency. The proposed Act Respecting Firearms and Other Weapons, Bill C-68, quite clearly does not respect the agreements signed in May of 1993 between the Inuit of Nunavut and the federal government. This agreement states that the Inuit have the right to harvest wildlife without any form of licence or permit and without imposition of any form of tax or fee. Bill C-68 does exactly the opposite. It imposes a monetary burden on Inuit people who rely on harvesting wildlife

to support their families. This is part of our culture and our traditional way of life.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, the consultation process, as we heard yesterday from Mr. Patterson, was completely inadequate. Communities in the north have not been consulted adequately, and Inuit are left without any information on how this bill will affect their lives. The federal government has not taken the appropriate measures to ensure that concerns at the community level have been addressed.

Once again, we see the federal government acting in a manner that does not reflect the current realities of our people or our values and beliefs. This gun control legislation should not and must not be imposed on the Inuit of Nunavut. I would encourage the federal government not to proceed with this bill until the matter is settled. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Hear! Hear!

---Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mrs. Thompson. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Pudlat.

Lack Of Consultation By Gun Control Task Force
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Kenoayoak Pudlat Baffin South

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a statement regarding the gun control act. Mr. Speaker, we are aware that there was consultation in some of the communities of the north, but my constituents weren't visited during the consultation process. If there was consultation done with my constituents, I would have been told about it. I feel there should be more consultation done with the communities regarding gun control.

Up until today, I have not been able to meet with my constituents regarding this, but I have been told that there should be more consultation done and a process so that every individual affected can be better informed about how it will affect them. I feel that when we are dealing with these bills, there should be consultation done with the communities. I'm not sure what communities were visited but from what I understand, the communities weren't informed prior to the visits. I would like to see my constituents being better informed about this gun control legislation because it will affect our people.

I just wanted to make a statement with respect to consultation. Thank you.

---Applause

Lack Of Consultation By Gun Control Task Force
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Pudlat. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Allooloo.