Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee decided concurrently with Bill 8, Appropriation Act '97/98, Committee Report 2-13, Committee Report 3-13, and Committee Report 4-13. We will proceed with Department of Transportation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Debates of Feb. 18th, 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
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Levi Barnabas High Arctic
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
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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
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Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
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
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The Chair Vince Steen
Very well. We will proceed after a 10 minute break with the Department of Transportation under Appropriation Act, Bill 8.
---Break
Chair's Ruling
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
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The Chair Vince Steen
I would like to call the committee back to order. Before we return to the main estimates I have a chairman's ruling here from events that took place last Friday. On Friday, February 14, 1997, the Honourable Premier Mr. Morin raised a point of privilege in committee of the whole in response to comments made by the Member for Kivallivik, Mr. O'Brien. The Premier's comments on the point of privilege led to Mr. O'Brien raising his own point of privilege. I indicated to the committee that I would take some time to review Hansard prior to providing my ruling. I have now had an opportunity to review Hansard and I am in the position to provide my ruling.
To put matters in context, the Member for Kivallivik, Mr. O'Brien, indicated on page 1101 of unedited Hansard, and I quote, "I wish that the Minister could be as strong in honouring the commitments that he has made in the east as he does in the west". The Premier, Mr. Morin, rose on a point of privilege stating:
"I would like to have the Member for Kivallivik withdraw his comments. Mr. Chairman, he accused the Minister of the government of favouring the western side of the territories over the east in his previous comment, which I have heard that the Minister should honour his commitments in the east like he does in the west and I take exception to that comment. We as a government are elected to represent all the Northwest Territories and we do not base our decisions east and west. I would request that the Member withdraw his comments if he has any right to have the name honourable in front of his name or not, he should do that".
In response, Mr. O'Brien sought an apology from the Premier for his comments that he should not have the word "honourable" in front of his name. Later in debate, the Premier did withdraw the remarks he made and earlier today the Premier offered an apology for his comments, which this House has accepted. On Friday, Mr. Morin, the Member for Tu Nedhe, went on to clarify his point of privilege and stated that he was actually raising on a point of order and was relying on Rule 23(h) which provides that a Member will be called to order if the Member makes allegations against another Member, a House Officer or witness, and Rule 23(j) which provides that a Member will be called to order if the Member imputes false or hidden motives to another Member.
For the record, I note that Mr. Morin's point of privilege is really a point of order and that he is arguing that our rules have been violated. From a close examination of Mr. O'Brien's statement on Friday, I am unable to conclude that the Member was making an allegation against another Member or imputing hidden motives. Mr. O'Brien is asking the Minister to honour commitments in the east as well as he honours his commitments in the west. The statement may be suggesting that the government favours one geographic region over another. However, I am unable to say that it falls within the category of making allegations against another Member or imputing false or hidden motives to another Member. The comments made by the Member for Kivallivik fall within the realm of appropriate political debate. Therefore, I find that the Honourable Mr. Morin does not have a point of order. I thank the Members for your patience. I will ask the committee now, do you wish to proceed with the main estimates?
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
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Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
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
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The Chair Vince Steen
Thank you. I will ask the Minister of Transportation if he would like to have witnesses present.
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
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Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes.
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
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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
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Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
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
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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
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Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have Bob Doherty. He is the deputy minister of the Department of Transportation. He is on my right and on my left, Raj Downe. She is the director for finance and administration for Department of Transportation. 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
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The Chair Vince Steen
Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Welcome to the committee. For the record we are on Bill 8, Appropriation Act, 1997-98. Transportation. We are on the detail of capital, airports on page 10-12. We were on buildings and works, Fort Smith region. Total region $2,120,000.
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
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Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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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
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James Rabesca North Slave
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What I was concerned about was the Fort Smith region regarding the overlay runway for $2 million. The reason why is because I was wondering if the Minister is considering any of the fundings that might be available to my particular region
regarding the airport. If you could spend that kind of money just to have an existing decent airport in Fort Smith, and there is no capital plan for an airport within my region in sight, I think that there are a lot of activities that might be going on in the future regarding the mining activities and a lot of transportation that might be needed between my region. 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
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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
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Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the department has been asked numerous times by the honourable Member and his predecessors in previous governments, but mainly from the honourable Member for North Slave, regarding monies for an airport to be built in the Rae-Edzo area. At this time what the department is doing, because of the cutbacks, is that we are renovating existing facilities only. This budget year, we are not going to be building any new infrastructure at all because of the budget cutbacks. As a result, there is nothing in this year's plan to do any work or set aside any money for what the honourable Member is requesting. However, just for your information, in 1995 the department provided the Hamlet of Rae-Edzo with $30,000 to conduct a consultant's study of the socio-economic impacts of an airport. The department had received a final draft of the study report and has communicated several concerns regarding the report and the benefit cost analysis to the mayor. We were advised last November 95, that a response from the hamlet would be forthcoming. As of yet, we have not received a formal response. We did put money into a study and because of the cutbacks we have not been able to allocate any funding for the honourable Member's request. 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
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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
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Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
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
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The Chair Vince Steen
Thank you. Buildings and works, Inuvik region. First of all, the sale of capital airports, buildings and works, Inuvik region. Total region, $1,460,000. Mr. Henry.
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
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Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I note that there was $3 million spent in prior years. Can the Minister tell us what that was spent on? Could he give us a little more background about the relocation of this airport, as to when was it built and why relocation is necessary? 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
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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
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Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am referring to the Deline airport relocation.
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
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