This is page numbers 341 - 369 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 6th 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 chairman.

Topics

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Thompson.

Return To Question 204-13(6): Formula Funding For Rae-edzo
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November 9th, 1998

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Manitok Thompson Aivilik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not have that information in front of me, so I will take that as notice.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. The question is taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Finance. It is regarding his discussions with the federal government to consider the possibility of looking at the Resource Sharing Agreement. I would like to ask the Minister exactly where these efforts are at with his discussion with the federal government Minister of Finance to try and find new initiatives for new sources of revenue and resources for this government? I would also like

to keep in mind with the Minister that there is a Northern Accord process in place. I would like to ask exactly how these two initiatives are being conducted together?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

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John Todd Keewatin Central

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, Mr. Speaker, we are trying to take a coordinated approach with the federal government, with my colleagues, Mr. Kakfwi and others, in an effort to have a renewed fiscal relationship with them. When I have talked about it in the House, and I am sure I will talk about it in the future, part of that new relationship and plan that we are trying to put in place is clearly on the fiscal side. It is important for my colleague, and perhaps I should have said earlier, to differentiate between royalties and taxes. Royalties are an issue that are far more complicated when it relates to claims and First Nations, et cetera, than taxes.

In my discussions with Mr. Martin, I have clearly been talking about the need for the government, western and the Nunavut governments, to have greater access on the tax side. My colleague, Mr. Kakfwi, has been under discussions for many months in relationship to devolution, and you have heard him speak to it, which also includes the royalty side. It is really a collaborative effort on the part of Mr. Kakfwi and myself, and others, in an effort to get a different relationship with the federal government, so we could be less dependent on transfer payments, where there is an incentive for us to move forward on some of these initiatives that we can work out with all the players at the table, the stakeholders, if you want, and in particular, the aboriginal constituency as to how we are going to move forward in an orderly way to bring new revenues to the new Western Territory and ultimately to the new Nunavut territory.

If I may, since I have been given this opportunity, I would like to stress that it is an absolute priority if we are going to continue to deliver the kinds of services that are expected of us by the constituency at large. The status, right now, is that discussions are underway. They are preliminary at this stage of the game I have to be candid that I am optimistic that in the next four to six weeks we will have at least some discussions at a federal level. As a matter of fact, I spoke to Mr. Kakfwi and others just this morning, or earlier this afternoon about that. I hope that in the coming weeks we will be able to put forward a blueprint, a step-by-step of what we have to do to reach the goals we are all trying to achieve. That is, less fiscal dependence on grants, more independence in terms of the revenues that have been generated, particularly from the non-renewable resources side, et cetera. This is, the overall objective. The discussions are very preliminary and I was encouraged by my discussion with Mr. Martin before he left here two weeks ago, where he indicated to me a willingness to at least address the issue, and hopefully, put into place some kind of process where discussions and negotiations could be undertaken to achieve the end that we are all trying to reach. That is, greater access to the revenues being derived from the non-renewable resources and other industries that go on in this part of the country. Thank you.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

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David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My next supplementary question is in regard to the process of the Northern Accord, the Roads to Revenue Sharing, in which there is a process that has been negotiated in place and some land claim agreements in the Gwich'in Agreement, Section 21, Sub-Surface Resources. Under Section 21.6, it clearly states the Government of the Northwest Territories shall involve the Gwich'in in development and implementation of the Northern Accord Agreement. I would like to ask the Minister, what involvement do the aboriginal groups have? Are they being consulted in these discussions which are going on between the federal government and the Government of the Northwest Territories at this time?

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Todd.

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John Todd Keewatin Central

Let me stress from the outset, Mr. Speaker, that politics is timing. We have an opportunity, based upon my discussions with the Finance Minister and other Ministers discussions with the Indian Affairs Minister to try to move forward on this initiative to get a renewed fiscal relationship with the federal government. We fully recognize it simply cannot be done without the full participation of all the stakeholders of which, as I have said to an earlier question, the aboriginal constituency, in particular, claims First Nations have to be involved.

At this stage of the game, given this new opportunity that has arisen, we have not gone back and suggested for one minute the process has to be undertaken because we are still working that out with the federal government, but some of us have a history of dealing intimately with the aboriginal constituency, whether it was myself, Mr. Kakfwi, or previous Ministers or Premiers. The process in the past of participation is clear. The process for the future will be the same. Participation by the stakeholders that are involved in this important initiative that we are moving forward on. Thank you.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

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David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister clarify a point when you mean you need the involvement of aboriginal groups in order to devolve any policies of the Government of the Northwest Territories? There are certain areas of the aboriginal communities and regions that are quite a way off concluding their land claim agreements and what not. Will the Minister go ahead with those regions that have concluded their claims agreements and wait for the other groups to conclude later on, or will you wait until all claims are

settled in the Northwest Territories?

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Todd.

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John Todd Keewatin Central

I respect the fact that not all aboriginal groups are on a level playing field and there are political differences between claims and inherent rights. I am not totally qualified to speak on that issue. I do have an obligation as the Finance Minister, along with my colleagues, to move forward on some of these initiatives. We will move forward on them, sensitive to the political realities we all live in. Part of that is, there is not necessarily unanimity within the constituency at large, on issues like non-renewable resources, tax windows, royalties, et cetera. I have an obligation as my colleagues do, to move forward on this initiative and to provide where we can discussions that will unfold with respect to a sharing of the revenues, whether it is royalties or taxes that come from the resources, that are currently, if you take diamonds, which are currently being taken out of this country.

If I may, just for clarity purposes, remind the Members that out of the one diamond mine, and I sometimes think myself included, we are sometimes too preoccupied with diamonds. There is a huge gas and oil find out there as well, but in the diamond mine alone, there is $4.4 billion in my numbers worth of royalties and taxes in which there is little or no benefits coming to either this government, more importantly to aboriginal governments, or more importantly to the people we represent. We have an obligation and responsibility to move forward on this initiative. I believe we have a political will at the federal level to at least sit down and discuss it. It is certainly our intention to ensure all the stakeholders are part and parcel of our discussions at the end of the day. Thank you.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Question period is over. Written questions. Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier, regarding the Affirmative Action Status.

1. How many positions in the government overall, have been filled through the Affirmative Action Initiative in the past three years?

2. How many positions were filled with the Affirmative Action Initiative by Department?

3. Recognizing people of aboriginal descent comprise a significant portion of the population, what efforts have been made to ensure they are proportionately represented in the Territorial Government labour pool?

4. Post-secondary education is required for many occupations. Financial and geographic restraints prevent many people from attending university. What initiatives has the government adopted or considered in the past three years to encourage and assist more aboriginal people to enter university and other post- secondary programs?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Mr. Todd.

Item 12: Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills
Item 12: Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills

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John Todd Keewatin Central

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Standing Committee on Government Operations reported on the review of Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Workers Compensation Act, No. 2. The committee reported the bill was ready for consideration in the committee of the whole.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive rule 70(5), and have Bill 11 moved into committee of the whole. I would like to thank all of my colleagues for their support in this request. Thank you.

Item 12: Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills
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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. The Member for Keewatin Central is seeking unanimous consent to waive rule 70(5). Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Todd, you have unanimous consent. Bill 11 will be moved into committee of the whole for today. Report of committees on the review of bills. Mr. Roland.

Item 12: Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills
Item 12: Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills

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Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to the Legislative Assembly that the Standing Committee on Social Programs has reviewed Bill 10, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, and wishes to report that Bill 10 is ready for consideration in committee of the whole. Mr. Chairman, I seek unanimous consent to waive rule 70(5), and have Bill 10 moved into committee of the whole for today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 12: Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills
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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. The Member for Inuvik is seeking unanimous consent to waive rule 70(5). Do I have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Roland, you have unanimous consent. Bill 10, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, will be moved into committee of the whole for today. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Goo Arlooktoo Baffin South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure to table three letters from Mr. Jose A. Kusugak, President of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, regarding consultations on the Nunavut Statutes Replacement Act, and

the Judicial System Implementation Act, and the Nunavut Statutes Amendment Act. Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Tabling of documents. Mr. Kakfwi.

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled Business Credit Corporation, 1998 Annual Report. Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. Mr. Todd.