Thank you. Mr. Christensen.
Debates of May 24th, 1996
This is page numbers 619 - 646 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 3rd 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 communities.
Topics
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 642
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 642
Manitok Thompson Aivilik
Thank you, Madam Chair. That would be 90 litres per person times five. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 642
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 642
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Madam Chair. Is the department giving any direction or encouragement to lessen this subsidy in the future, from $8 million? We've heard the government talk about user-pay and community empowerment and so forth. Are there any plans by the department to look at communities? Is it possible for communities to pay the economic cost for water and sewer pick-up and delivery?
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 642
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 642
Christensen
Thank you, Madam Chair. Over the three years of the department's business plan, we have a total of $9.8 million indicated annually. The way we are implementing in this initiative is to phase it in. In the first year, we believe there are additional opportunities to save additional funds in the operation of the system, but we recognize that it will take some time to create the efficiencies that are possible in communities in the delivery of water and sewer services.
At the end of the three-year period of our business plan, we're estimating that communities will be operating services as efficiently as possible, if we are to contribute on the basis that we are now; if we are to maintain the subsidy levels now under the water and sewer. If we are to maintain the subsidy levels now for the next three years on a per community basis, and yet communities will still need to accommodate their growth in population within that fixed amount of money over the three-year period, we're estimating that communities will then need to be as efficient as they can be; maintaining rates approximately at what they are now.
We are, as a department, working with communities to help them become as efficient as possible. In terms of reducing the subsidy levels even further, that will be something that will impact directly on the question of affordability at the community level. We're addressing the initial phase of reductions. We're addressing our reductions to our budget for water and sewer subsidy by directly tackling opportunities to save through better efficiencies. To reduce the subsidy further than that, would affect affordability to consumers. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 642
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 642
Floyd Roland Inuvik
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a question on water delivery; subsidized tax-based funding delivery of potable water where piped service is not available. I take it, from 1995-96 to 1996-97, there has been a total elimination of that subsidy.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 642
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 642
Manitok Thompson Aivilik
Thank you, Madam Chair. Can the Member clarify his question, please?
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643
Floyd Roland Inuvik
Thank you, Madam Chair. Water delivery subsidy tax-based, that's a total deletion of that subsidy.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643
Manitok Thompson Aivilik
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, it is.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643
Floyd Roland Inuvik
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll use my own community of Inuvik where there is piped service as well as trucked services; is that also taken into the amount of reduction that the community is taking? Thank you.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643
Manitok Thompson Aivilik
Thank you, Madam Chair. I will refer that to Vern.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643
Christensen
Thank you, Madam Chair. The water/sewer services subsidy program was revised to incorporate the provisions that were under the former program that was called water delivery subsidy tax-based. That program was eliminated. The subsidy provisions for tax-based municipalities were incorporated into the water/sewer subsidy program. So subsidy provisions continue, but not under the former program.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643
Floyd Roland Inuvik
Thank you, Madam Chair. So I take it what was in there before is now rolled into the water/sewer services subsidy program overall. That alone looks like it took a $600,000 reduction and this $2.664 million was supposed to be rolled into this amount. So the total reduction is over $3 million to that program.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 643