Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To this particular project, the community does not make a direct contribution; at least, the hamlet doesn't make a direct contribution to the funding for this particular project. This is a land development project. Any fees collected as a result of this development are through the lease fees charged to the people that acquire the land for building. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Debates of May 23rd, 1996
Topics
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
Christensen
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Ootes.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
I guess I am concerned from the perspective of whether this is a tax-based community or a non-tax-based community. I take it it is a non-taxed-based community. Why isn't it a tax-based community? What is the reason, with a population of 2,400 people?
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Madam Minister.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
Manitok Thompson Aivilik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will be asking Mr. Christensen to answer that question.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
The Chair John Ningark
Mr. Christensen.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
Christensen
Mr. Chairman, this area is an area that the department will be spending more time reviewing in the coming year. We do want to take a look at the whole area of municipal financing. Again, it is related to a number of the things that the department would be doing related to the community empowerment priority.
In terms of alternative sources of revenue to municipalities, one of the areas that does become apparent is the area of municipal taxation. That is an area the department does need to do some more work on. There have only been seven tax-based municipalities in all of the Northwest Territories for some time. There are a number of communities that are growing considerably and one of the areas that we do plan to look at is the whole area of the ability to contribute towards the cost of projects that are presently totally funded by the government. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Ootes.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
I just want a clarification of what we are looking at when the department says they are looking at other communities to go to a tax base. In the case of Rankin, what kind of time frame are we looking at here?
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Madam Minister.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
Manitok Thompson Aivilik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is an area that should be discussed with all MLAs and with the communities involved. We don't have a definite plan on this. This would have to be discussed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
The Chair John Ningark
Buildings and works, Mr. Ootes.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Mr. Chairman, I noticed under future years' anticipated, the only figure I see is $6.714 million in all of the community planning and lands. Is it the only project that is being looked at, Mr. Chairman?
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Madam Minister.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
Manitok Thompson Aivilik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will refer that to Mr. Christensen.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
The Chair John Ningark
Mr. Christensen.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
Christensen
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Of all the projects indicated here in community planning and lands, that is the only project that has funding that goes that far into the future. As I mentioned before, the only projects that show up here are projects that have funding in the 1996-97 fiscal year in our community planning and lands program, over the next five-year period. We do have a number of other projects, but they don't extend this far into the future as a single project.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Ootes.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
I guess that concerns me. Rankin Inlet seems to be the only community for which there are anticipated expenditures for the future. Certainly, there must be other communities that ... How is this done? How do people get allocated funds for future needs?
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 615
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Madam Minister.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 616
Manitok Thompson Aivilik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Through the planning process. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 616
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. We have Mr. Roland.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 616
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 616
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. There is a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is not debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
I will rise and report progress. Before I rise and report progress, I would like to remind Members in Committee of the Whole to be more diligent when the item is called. We have been going back and forth from one item to another. So for future reference, I would like to remind everyone. It gets confusing for the chair, at times. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Minister and witnesses.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 616
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
I will call the House back to order. Item 20, report of Committee of the Whole. Mr. Ningark.