This is page numbers 441 - 481 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 nunavut.

Topics

Seamus Henry Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform Members of this House and the general public of the very significant and successful event which took place in our capital city this past weekend. I refer, Mr. Speaker, to the first Stanton Regional Hospital Foundation Telethon and hopefully that would be the first of many more to come. The event was held at St. Patrick High School and raised over $136,000 to go towards the purchase of equipment which will provide better health care services to all residents of the Northwest Territories.

Most of us, Mr. Speaker, got the opportunity to view the telethon from the front of our television screen and it was a fantastic opportunity for Members of my community and for others visiting my community to actually see what goes on behind the scenes. I would like to congratulate the organizers for a very well- organized and successful event. The organizing committee consisted of co-chairs Loretta Foley and Jerome Babyn from my community. There were approximately over 200 volunteers who participated in the event. I would also like to congratulate the public who came out to support the event and most of all the individuals, groups and organizations who contributed funds to the purchase of this equipment.

Mr. Speaker, the Foundation is now much closer to its goal of raising over $2 million for the purchase of equipment which will provide better health care services to the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker

Members' statements. Mr. O'Brien.

Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as yourself, I would also like to recognize the four Pages who are present here today in the Assembly from Arviat. Mr. Speaker, they will probably be the future leaders of Nunavut no doubt. Mr. Speaker, Gloria Arnayuinak, John Niakrok, Brian Suwaksiork and Adrienne Pameolik, are probably the first Pages to be here in this Assembly in ten years or more. They will probably be the last group of Pages from Nunavut that will serve in this Assembly. Maybe the last few, Mr. Speaker, I am aware that there may be another group coming in next week.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the teachers at Qitiqliq school for helping the students prepare for the visit to the Assembly, First Air and Calm Air for providing travel arrangements for the students to come here, Cheryl Voytilla, a staff member here who helped the students get ready today along with Tony Whitford. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker

Members' statements. Mr. Morin.

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A week ago today the report of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner was tabled in this House. Mr. Speaker, February of last year is when the complaint was laid against myself as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. Since February of last year, I have been advised by my legal counsel that I was not allowed to talk to the press or the public and publicly defend myself as a person. I took that advice and I thought it was proper, as well, that I should not do that. Today is a new day for myself. Now, I can stand up and defend myself.

The conflict report will be moved into committee of the whole today, that is my understanding. There is a process and I thank the Members for that process, that I can stand up in this House and speak for 90 minutes to raise my concerns of the whole process from start to finish. I plan on doing that then. I want to let my constituents know to listen on Friday, possibly come and listen because I will be here and I will be speaking my piece for the first time in just about a year, I will be able to stand up and publicly speak what I think and feel of the process.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage the members of the public, as well as all Members of the Legislative Assembly, to read the report. Not just the summary, not just the conclusion, read the report from start to finish and come to your own conclusion, but please do not come to your own conclusion until you hear me speak for 90 minutes on Friday. That is the only opportunity I have had and will have to defend myself. I look forward to working with you, debating the report on the conflict of interest and I look forward to Friday. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker

Members' statements. Mr. Antoine.

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to speak on an event that happened in Fort Simpson on November 14th. Mr. Speaker, some time ago through this Legislative Assembly process there was a certain community hall that there was a lot of controversy in this House about. Finally on November 14th we completed it and had an official opening in Fort Simpson.

Even though it is a long struggle working with the Members in this House, I would like to thank all the Members for finally seeing what we are trying to do in Fort Simpson and allowing us to continue building a facility that is going to be enjoyed and utilized by the citizens in Fort Simpson as a community. Finally, we have a space large enough that we can put a lot of people in there collectively and the elders and people who are handicapped that will have access to a place in Fort Simpson where we all could get together and gather like in so many other communities in the north. With that, I would like to thank the Legislative Assembly for that. Thank you.

--Applause

The Speaker

Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Todd.

John Todd Keewatin Central

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Henry on November 5, 1998 with respect to the Formula Financing Agreement - Impact of Population Decline.

Under the new Northwest Territories/Canada Formula Financing Agreement, the gross expenditure base - a measure of the Northwest Territories' spending needs - is escalated each year by the three-year moving average of the growth in provincial local government spending across Canada, multiplied by the three-year moving average of growth in the western NWT population compared with that of Canada.

The population adjustment factor, as this last term is referred to, reflects the fact that if territorial population is growing at a faster rate than that of Canada, spending needs are also growing, and therefore, funding under the grant increases. However, if territorial population grows more slowly than that of Canada, or even declines, the grant will grow more slowly or in some cases even decline.

This link between population and funding levels is a standard feature of federal/provincial fiscal arrangements. Provincial governments also experience a decline in federal transfers if their populations decrease. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

Thank you. Returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Antoine.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to introduce Norman Prevost, the mayor of Fort Simpson, he is in the gallery. Mr. Speaker, Fort Simpson, is I guess rightfully, the Liidlikue in my own language. Mr. Prevost is returning from Edmonton where he also attended the Meet the North Conference. He is one of the many representatives from the north at this conference and he is one of the main reasons why we finally completed the community hall in Fort Simpson. I would like to ask the Speaker to welcome Mr. Prevost to this chamber.

Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, I also would like to introduce to you Mr. Robert Villeneuve, who has been my constituency assistant in my Nahendeh office in Fort Simpson. He is here at the capital of the Northwest Territories to familiarize himself with the Government of the Northwest Territories and its department, the Legislative Assembly. Please, Mr. Speaker, through you, I would like to welcome them to this chamber. Thank you.

--Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Rabesca.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

December 1st, 1998

Page 447

James Rabesca North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize my constituency members in the gallery. There are 23 students from grade 11 and 12 from Chief Jimmy Bruneau High School of Rae-Edzo, along with their supervisors and teaching volunteers, Odile Haesselin and Jerry Moran, teachers, and Frankie Cansell, the bus driver. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Erasmus.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 447

Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a couple of constituents from Yellowknife North. The first is Mr. Mike Walcer, he is a long-time northerner. To give you an idea of how long he has been here, I can remember him from when I was a little kid so that is quite a while. He is also the owner and operator of the Green Thumb business.

Also, I would like to recognize Doreen Baptiste. Doreen is an instructor at the Yellowknife campus of Aurora College and she has also just finished the calendar for 1999, which has a lot of important dates from the history of the NWT on it. Thank you.

--Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Picco.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 447

Edward Picco Iqaluit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome to the gallery, Mr. John Quirke, the Clerk of the new Nunavut Legislative Assembly and a resident of Iqaluit. Mr. Dave McCann, who is a well-known best selling Canadian author of the NWT Cargo Cult book and owner of the Treeline Cafe, the best place to get a vegetarian breakfast here in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. O'Brien.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 447

Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome a very good friend of Preston Manning's, and he is known to be a little further right than Attila the Hun, Mr. Dave McCann, a Yellowknife businessman. Thank you.

--Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 447

The Speaker

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 447

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr.

Speaker, these are not my constituents but I see two people in the gallery today I would like to recognize. I met these people at the Conflict of Interest inquiry and I think they showed up every day the inquiry was on. Now they must have been bit by the political bug because they are here today. They are two senior citizens, Mr. Bill Powless and Law Gardiner.

--Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Krutko.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 448

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize someone I have not recognized for a couple of days, Pat Thomas, NWTTA. Hi, Pat.

--Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 448

The Speaker

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Ootes.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 448

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize two of my constituents that Mrs. Groenewegen also recognized, Mr. Powless and Law Gardiner. You are great constituents. Thank you.

--Applause