Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
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Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
I believe that my right as an elected representative of the people of Sahtu would be infringed upon by the Member, I think, suggesting very strongly that she will be
tabling motions and petitions that originate from my constituency that properly are my duty and responsibility to do with as their elected representative. Thank you.
Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
Page 811
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. On the point of privilege, I will allow the Members to comment on the point of privilege itself. Mrs. Groenewegen.
Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
Page 811
Jane Groenewegen Hay River
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The documents that I am tabling here today, I felt responsible to table because they were addressed to me. And more specifically asked the Member specifically asked me to table them. In the case of the NWT Woman's Association, they approached me directly and personally asked me to table that document. I agreed to do so on their behalf.
With respect to the one from the Dene National Assembly, that one was also specifically addressed to me with a request to take note of that. The third one that I wanted to table that I have not tabled yet was signed by the motion, the resolution was seconded by a constituent who is in my riding. And the mover is in fact a constituent of the Speaker's riding. So I will either defer this table to someone else or proceed at the Speaker's decision.
Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
Page 811
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Thank you. Debate on the point of privilege. Thank you. I will reserve my decision after I advise the Clerk and am a lot more clear about the point of privilege.
I would ask the Member from Hay River if she would hold on tabling the document until I make a decision on the point of privilege.
Tabling of documents, Mr. Clerk.
Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
Page 811
Clerk Of The House Mr. David Hamilton
Mr. Speaker, in accordance with section 190(3) of the Elections Act, I wish to table notification, Tabled Document 73-13(3), to the Legislative Assembly that a petition has been brought under subsection 1871 of the Election Contesting of the Elections Act contesting the election in the electoral district of Thebacha.
Petition No. 10 presented by Mr. Ootes and responded to by the Minister responsible for the Workers Compensation Board on the transfer of Occupational Health and Safety Services to the Workers Compensation Board.
Response to Petition No. 11 presented by Mr. Ootes and responded to by the Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board on the transfer of Occupational Health and Safety Services to the Workers Compensation Board.
Response to Petition No. 13 presented by Mr. Barnabas and responded to by the Minister of Safety and Public Services concerning a plebiscite on liquor control in Resolute Bay.
Response to Petition No. 14 presented by Mr. Erasmus and responded to by the Minister responsible for the Workers Compensation Board on the transfer of Occupational Health and Safety Services to the Workers Compensation Board.
Response to Petition No. 29 presented by Mr. Enuaraq and responded to by the Chairman of the Financial Management Board on the opposition to wage and benefit reductions.
Response to Petition No. 30 presented by Mr. Enuaraq and responded to by the Chairman of the Financial Management Board on the opposition to reduction of benefits as outlined in the collective agreement.
Response to Petition No. 45 presented by Mr. Arlooktoo and responded to by the Chairman of the Financial Management Board concerning an act to amend the Public Service Act.
Response to Petition No. 48 presented by the people of Baker Lake and responded to by the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on the replacement of existing and unsafe Nunavut Arctic College building.
Response to Petition No. 49 presented by Mr. Ootes and responded to by the Minister of Health and Social Services concerning the community wellness youth programs.
Response to Petition No. 50 presented by Mr. Erasmus and responded to by the Minister of Health and Social Services concerning the community wellness youth programs.
Response to Petition No. 53 presented by Mr. Henry and responded to by the Minister of Health and Social Services concerning the community wellness youth programs.
Response to Petition No. 54 presented by Mr. Henry and responded to by the Minister of Health and Social Services concerning the community wellness youth programs.
Response to Petition No. 55 presented by Mr. Erasmus and responded to by the Minister of Health and Social Services concerning the community wellness youth programs.
Response to Petition No. 56 presented by Mr. Ootes and responded to by the Minister of Health and Social Services concerning the community wellness youth programs.
Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
Page 812
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Thank you. Item 13, tabling of documents. Notices of motion. Mr. O'Brien.
Item 14: Notices Of Motion
Item 14: Notices Of Motion
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Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday October 4, 1996 I will move the following motion. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River, that Tabled Document 68-13(3) entitled Changes to the 1996/97 Capital Plan be moved into the committee of the whole today for discussion. Mr. Speaker at the appropriate time I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today. Thank you.
Item 14: Notices Of Motion
Item 14: Notices Of Motion
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The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Thank you. Notices of motion. Notices of motion for first reading of bills. Motions. Mr. O'Brien.
Item 16: Motions
Item 16: Motions
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Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to move my Motion 15-13(3) that I gave notice of today.
Item 16: Motions
Item 16: Motions
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The Speaker Samuel Gargan
The member for Kivallivik is seeking unanimous consent to deal with his motion today. Do we have any nays. There are no nays, you have unanimous consent Mr. O'Brien.
Item 16: Motions
Item 16: Motions
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Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River, that Tabled Document 68-13(3) entitled changes to the 1996/97 Capital Plan be moved to the committee of the whole today for discussion.
Item 16: Motions
Item 16: Motions
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The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Thank you, Mr. O'Brien, your motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour. All those opposed. Motion is carried.
Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. First reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Second reading of bills.
Item 19, consideration of committee of the whole of bills and other matters. Tabled Document 1-13(3), Tabled Document 68-13(3) and Minister's Statement 82-13(3) with Mr. Ningark in the chair.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 1st, 1996
Page 813
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. I would like to call the committee of the whole back to order. We have 3 items, Tabled Document 1-13(3), Report of the Commission on the MLA Compensation, Tabled Document 68-13(3), and Minister's Statement 82-13(3). What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Ootes.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 813
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Mr. Chairman, could I suggest we deal with the changes to the 1996/97 Capital Plan, Tabled Document 68- 13(3).
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 813
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, honourable Member. I just had a recommendation we deal with Tabled Document 68-13(3). Do we have the concurrence of the committee? Agreed. We will take a short break, 15 minutes and come back here. Thank you.
--- SHORT RECESS
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 813
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. I would like to call the committee back to order. We are dealing with Tabled Document 68-13(3), Changes to the Capital Plan. We are in general comments, Mr. Ootes
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 813
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Perhaps I can make some comments on this, to put it into perspective. The concern is the changes...
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 813
An Hon. Member
...that we entered this process trying to be a cooperative as possible and I think we should maintain that spirit as much as possible and that...
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 813
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
...the concern is the changes to the capital funds and this was the subject of concern by a number of members. It was discussed by members of various standing committees and the concern relates around the fact that there have been changes and transfers made in the capital budget as passed by members of the legislative assembly in the spring session.
The areas of concern are in several areas and the members will speak further on them, for example in the Department of Transport some two million dollars was changed and there were specific items such as in Cambridge Bay a Tembind application was put on the airport for $135,000, which was a new project. In Fort Simpson access paving was done for $650,000, which was a new project. Gjoa Haven, overlay of runway and taxi apron. The next change in that particular project was increased by $288,000. In Hay River there was a rehabilitate the runway, and that was changed by an additional $300,000. In Resolute Bay the air terminal building which was a project initially for $1,135,000, $633,000 was taken away. Various monies were put into a culvert replacement program and then the highway system in Highway 1B, Kilometre 84 to 136, $800,000 was taken out of that particular allocation. Highway 3A, Kilometre 0 to 154, $606,000 was transferred to Highway 3B, Kilometre 154 to 243.
The transfer of the dollars were in some cases to new projects which were apparently not in the five year plan and the members are concerned that the changes were done without consultation of the members of those particular constituencies and in some cases members were not aware of the changes being imposed. So that, Mr. Chairman, is a brief rundown of the issue.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 813
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, Mr. Ootes...are there general comments from the members of the committee of the whole or any further general comments? Yes, Mr. Roland, thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 813
Floyd Roland Inuvik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When I look at this issue I have concern that through our committee process we have looked at, in order of importance, a lot of the projects that came through our committees and we have deferred others in that process and my concern comes from, in the order of importance we have deferred other projects in some settlements and after that things are altered or changed for whatever reasons but I grow concerned with the process and is this five year capital plan process, is it a system that we should indeed continue with if changes like this can happen from time to time?
This is something we need to address, however we address that it is a duty of ourselves as an assembly. But there needs to be some sort of a process or bringing together of everything that has happened here so that we can clarify it because we have the budget coming up, it is the last one we can have an impact, and the following one becomes a caretaker one because that is going to be moving into the new government. I think we need to seriously look at the considerations that is before us and address it as a way the people of the communities and the public that we serve would see fit. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 813
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, Mr.
Roland, I have Mr. Krutko and Mr. O'Brien...Mr. Krutko?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 814
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Mr. Chairman, yes, the point I want to make is that we all got into office knowing that there were going to be major cuts, that there were going to be major problems when it came to revenues to be able to do things, that in some cases we are not going to be able to carry some things out.
We are talking about trying to find an order here that everybody has to feel a little bit of the hurt that is going to come along with these cuts in regards to ridings, employees of this government, ourselves as MLA's, cuts in regards to the wages of our civil servants and also a new way of doing government. We have all come in here with the intentions of this as a new order of government, we were going to be fair, we would deal with this problem with the deficit, all together, united, but from what I see and what we have been telling our constituents when we go home is that, "oh, it's just going to be there for a short time, sorry you can't have these projects, you will have to hold up, until we are able to get out of this problem of the deficit and try to get back onto the road to recovery."
But on the other hand what we see here is that for some regions, such as my region, which my unemployment rates are almost double the national average and also in regards to projects. One of my ridings, Aklavik, received $300,000 in capital, yet with the decision by FMB, or Cabinet, or whoever, projects can be moved around by simple decision within that House, yet ourselves as members of this House, we went through a long process of reviewing the projects, cutting projects out, saying we had to cut ten here, in some cases fifteen percent, in all the different envelopes to come up with something that we can all live with. But to be fair to the general public that we represent we made an attempt to state that we are going to do things differently.
The common way of doing government is over. Reality is in front of us, we have a deficit, yet from these projects having funds moved around, projects added to the budget after it has been passed, is not what we are telling the government, it is not going to happen. Yet the public out there, and the people we are cutting, especially the elders, the old folks homes in regards to fuel subsidies and all these others things that affect the peoples lives, day-to-day, and yet we still do this, makes we wonder, realistically are we here to the benefit of the people we represent in our constituencies, depends what riding you are in, but I think we have to find a new order of doing government here and realize it, that the number one priority of this government and this House is dealing with the deficit. If there are monies which are not spent, they go back to bring down the deficit, not just say, "Well, there's money there, let's spend it". We cannot afford to spend like we use to, I think that is the message we have to put out to the public.
We cannot afford to continue to carry on the way the previous government has, or the previous executive has, because reality is we are saying one thing to our people and we are doing another thing in this House. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 814
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. We are dealing with the changes to the capital plan of the government. We have Mr. O'Brien, Mr. Miltenberger, Mr. Picco...Mr. O'Brien?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 814
Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik
I am one of the unfortunate victims of this, what I would consider manipulation of the capital budget after the fact, where I lost, approximately three-quarters of a million dollars, for a health centre in Arviat, and I have thought a lot about this situation over the past few months and I realize that the money was moved and what further annoyed me was that it was moved without any consultation with myself, or the Hamlet of Arviat, and I strongly believe that this transfer or movement of funds from the capital budget, and the way it was done violates the basic fundamental principles of consensus government.
I think that when we get down to that point it makes myself and the residents of my community question consensus government. It is very embarrassing and it is very disturbing and disappointing when you inform your constituency that, yes, there is $800,000 in the capital budget to retrofit your 35 year old health centre and to find out on the street that the money has been moved from that project into another region, and, again, I stress without any consultation.
I think that the bottom line here is that this practice is unacceptable, it has to stop. I think the only way we have to do that is to introduce some kind of a mechanism, a motion, or policy that once the capital budget is struck, approved in this House, that it is not to be altered, moved, or deleted by a minister without the concurrence and the approval of the MLA's.
I do not think that the capital budget should be used in any way, shape, or form, to hamper the member from making statements in the House regarding the governments actions or policies and I think it is unacceptable that a member would have to feel that he may suffer reprisals if he were to make certain statements, or contradict, or question some of the policies of this government. I strongly believe that we do have to put something in place to guarantee that this does not happen again. I for one, would have a difficult time if somebody says to me, do not worry about it, it will not happen again. I think we need to put some teeth in this to ensure that it does not. Thank you.
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