Yes, Mr. Chairman. This question has been asked by a number of legislators and I tried to answer the question in response to an oral question by Mr. Floyd Roland earlier last week. You know, we do not say that there is $31 million spent in liquor over here. There is $16 million worth of surplus, that is where we are going to move it, over there. You know, the revenues are generated by the Liquor Commission as a revolving fund. Anything else that we do as it relates to revenues, goes into revenues. So we vote on monies associated with alcohol and drug care based on a departmental request not based upon, well we are spending this amount of money over here, so, therefore, we are going to spend that money over there. I think, if my memory serves me correct and my response to the question asked by Mr. Roland, who asked a similar question, I think it was fairly clear, if we go back to Hansard, that the number of dollars being spent directly and indirectly as it relates to drug and alcohol, the whole issue of drug and alcohol, preventative action was far greater than the surplus and the excess that we have here. Thank you.
Debates of Feb. 10th, 1997
Topics
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 521
John Todd Keewatin Central
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 521
The Chair Vince Steen
Thank you, Mr. Todd. Information item, Liquor Commission Development Fund. Further questions, 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 521
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Yes, in regards to subsidizing food and everything else, I mean why are we, in this day and age, still subsidizing liquor. I mean, we cannot afford to treat people and we should find a mechanism where those people that are purchasing alcohol, why are we subsidizing them in this day and age when there is no money there to treat people but there is money there to subsidize the substance of the source of the alcohol problems we have in the north? So when are we going to look at the those people that want the alcohol, take the subsidy off and use it for something that can be used such as treatment facilities, since we do not seem to have any money for that right now?
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 521
The Chair Vince Steen
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. I am just trying to evaluate whether your question is in relation to the Liquor Commission Revolving Fund, but I guess it is. Mr. Todd, do you want to answer?
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 521
John Todd Keewatin Central
Well, I mean as I said, I tried to address the question and I think if my honourable colleague goes back to Hansard and looks at my response to Mr. Roland's comments earlier last week, he will find that this government expends a considerable amount of its fiscal resources in the drug and alcohol area. That is how a proper budgetary process takes place. You do not say, we are going to generate so much in gravel, so let us put that money into digging ditches. That is just not the way you budget. Governments request dollars as it relates to the targets set for them for specific programs and drug and alcohol programs are one of them. It comes from a variety of programs. Mr. Ng's department, Miss Thompsons' department, et cetera. The revenues that we generate, whether it is through taxation, whether it is through permits or whether it is through liquor, are all part of a revenue approach. I want to assure my colleague that I am fairly confident that I will not be contradicted, that our resources that we put into drug and alcohol programs, through the variety of things that are out there, is far in excess of the surplus that exists within this revolving fund. 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 522
The Chair Vince Steen
Thank you, Mr. Todd. Any more questions on Liquor Commission Revolving Funds? 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 522
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regards to the cuts and everything that we have taken in the social envelope and the costs of the social envelope, all of it is basically related to the alcohol and drug problem that we have in the Northwest Territories. Is this government going to stand up and going to take the bull by the horns and do something about it? Basically we are putting money into an area that generates problems that we are trying to solve in other areas at a cost to this government. Yet there is an increase in the amount of funds that are received versus cutting programs out in other areas. Maybe this is one area that we can seriously look at cutting in this budget. I suggest we consider putting a motion forth cutting revenues to this portfolio.
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 522
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 522
John Todd Keewatin Central
I certainly would not want to put you on the spot, but I was going to ask to extend sitting hours to conclude this item. I guess I cannot. I stand down and agree with you that session is concluded.
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 522
The Chair Vince Steen
Thank you, Mr. Todd and I would like to thank the witness as well for attending. I will now read the report for progress.
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 522
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
The House will come back to order. We are on item 20, report of committee of the whole. Mr. Steen.
Item 20: Report Of The Committee Of The Whole
Item 20: Report Of The Committee Of The Whole
Page 522
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 8 and Committee Report 3-13(4) and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I am going to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the committee of the whole be concurred with.
Item 20: Report Of The Committee Of The Whole
Item 20: Report Of The Committee Of The Whole
Page 522
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Thank you. Seconded by Mr. Ng. Motion is in order. To the motion. Question being called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Item 21, third reading of bills. Mr. Clerk, item 22, orders of the day.
Item 22: Orders Of The Day
Item 22: Orders Of The Day
Page 522
Clerk Of The House Mr. David Hamilton
Mr. Speaker, meeting of the Nunavut Caucus immediately after adjournment tonight. Meetings for tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. of Caucus, at 9:30 a.m. the Standing Committee on Government Operations, at 10:30 of the Ordinary Members' Caucus and at 12:00 noon of the Management Services Board.
Orders of the day for Tuesday, February 11, 1997:
1. Prayer
2. Ministers' Statements
3. Members' Statements
4. Returns to Oral Questions
5. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
6. Oral Questions
7. Written Questions
8. Returns to Written Questions
9. Replies to Opening Address
10. Petitions
11. Reports of Standing and Special Committees
12. Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
13. Tabling of Documents
14. Notices of Motion
15. Notices of Motions for First Reading of Bills
16. Motions
17. First Reading of Bills
- Bill 10, Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 3, 1996-1997
- Bill 11, Loan Authorization Act, 1997-1998
18. Second Reading of Bills
19. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
- Bill 8, Appropriation Act, 1997-1998
- Committee Report 2-13(4), Standing Committee on Government Operations, Report on the 1997/98 Main Estimates
- Committee Report 3-13(4), Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Report on the 1997/98 Main Estimates
- Committee Report 4-13(4), Standing Committee on Resource Management and Development, Report on the 1997/98 Main Estimates
- Tabled Document 20-13(4), Report of the Joint Working Group on the Business Incentive Policy
20. Report of Committee of the Whole
21. Third Reading of Bills
22. Orders of the Day
Item 22: Orders Of The Day
Item 22: Orders Of The Day
Page 522
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned to Tuesday, February 11, 1997, at 1:30 p.m.
-- ADJOURNMENT