Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in relationship to the $800,000 that has been committed to the Sirius Diamond Company for training, I am curious as to if there was any consideration given, to provide any additional training dollars for Nunavut. An example would be in light of the fact that the nursing program that was just cut in Nunavut?
Debates of Sept. 24th, 1998
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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Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik
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 John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
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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John Todd Keewatin Central
Well, I could answer that question now or I could answer it when we get to the detail of expenditure but I said to a question I believe in committee, Mr. Picco had asked if my colleague will, and I say this in the most positive way, will be patient, I think my colleague Mr. Ng, is working hard and Mr. Dent, to try to put forward a paper that will address long term, the need for a home grown nursing fraternity, similar to what we have done with the teachers' education program. I think that will unfold in the next little while. I think it will require, if I may be bold enough to say today, significant resources and I am optimistic we may be able to find them.
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 John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. O'Brien.
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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Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman I just gave that nursing situation as an example, but the gist of my question was, was there any consideration given to provide additional dollars for training in general in Nunavut? 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 John Ningark
Mr. Todd.
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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John Todd Keewatin Central
Mr. Chairman, I believe just for clarity purposes, it was $150,000 went to Sirius Diamonds in terms of training, not $800,000 and I am not aware of any consideration given to any additional dollars in training dollars because of this initiative that Minister Dent and his colleagues took. 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 John Ningark
Yes, I called and there was a light. Mr. O'Brien are you okay on that? Shall we go into detail? Mr. O'Brien.
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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Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik
Mr. Chairman, I thought it was approximately $820,000 in total?
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 John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Todd.
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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John Todd Keewatin Central
No, Mr. Chairman. Let me assure you, I know my numbers and the number was $150,000. 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 John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. O'Brien.
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Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik
Mr. Chairman, I still see this still adding up to over $800,000. That is page 13, monies related to training.
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 John Ningark
Thank you. Perhaps we are getting into detail of the appropriation. Mr. Todd.
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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John Todd Keewatin Central
May I suggest, Mr. Chairman, if we are going to get the detail, I can answer the question at that time, but I want to assure my colleague that he asked me the question, about specifically about Sirius Diamonds. It is in page 13, line 12, to provide funding for training assistance to Sirius Diamonds, NWT Limited, $150,000.
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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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. I will recognize we are getting into detail. I am going to start ruling the question out of order if there is part of the item we are reviewing to give the detail. Mr. O'Brien.
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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Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik
Just a last comment, Mr. Chairman. I realize Mr. Todd is getting hung up on this figure that has been allocated toward the Sirius Diamond company but the gist of my comment is we indicate here and page 13, $860,000 that is allocated for training dollars in the west and my comment was, was there any consideration given to put any dollars for training in the east? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No more questions.
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 John Ningark
Mr. Todd.
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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John Todd Keewatin Central
Mr. Chairman, let me assure you the decision to invest money in training dollars had nothing to do with east or west, it had everything to do with where the diamonds happen to be allocated. This initiative is a good one and I can give the detail when we get to it on page 13 and the rational for it, at that time. 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 John Ningark
Thank you. We have Mr. Steen from Nunakput. Mr. Steen, general comments.
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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Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, my general comments are in relation to this government now taking on responsibility to fund the diamond industry, the mining industry. Considering the government just came out of the hole, just barely balanced the books and considering all the cuts we have put to the people in the communities, I am surprised we now have money to give to the diamond industry, to the mining industry, but we do not seem to have any money to help teachers salaries and benefits, and nurses salaries and benefits.
I have a hard time understanding how the department of transportation could feel it was their responsibility to supply land and a commercial/industrial area at the Inuvik airport for the diamond industry, when they cannot even keep the roads in shape. The other point I would like to make here, Mr. Chairman, is Yellowknife is complaining steadily about the lack of employment and opportunities, economic opportunities in this region, but Yellowknife is getting all the money. Yellowknife is getting all the big contracts, all the highway contracts. The roads are developed around Yellowknife.
Now we have to fork out money to keep them alive. I just do not understand that at all. I understand the principle the Minister is putting forward, putting money up front is going to come back later. I suppose when I reach this item, I am going to ask him a question in relation to that, is that does he expect to get it all back in taxes? Something like that? I do not know but I just do not agree with the principle that is being put forward here is that we have to keep the big companies going while the poor are going without. I just do not understand that. That is my comment on this particular bill.
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 John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Todd has no response. I have Mr. Krutko on this list. General comments.
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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David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I too have some problems seeing these large, expenditures, especially capital
expenditures showing up in a supplementary. When we first got to this House, a lot of the communities a lot of the projects in their five year capital plans were cancelled yet this Financial Administration Act clearly states and we were told by the Minister of Finance to the departments if they wanted to develop any infrastructure, it had to be done through the main estimates. Yet we see all these multi-million dollar projects popping up through supplementary appropriations again. Why have these projects not been put forth in regard to the main estimates, through airports?
Other communities are looking at having their airports upgraded, to meet certain national standards, yet we do not have enough money to maintain our airports, yet we are spending $800,000 to develop one airport. Yet there is 50 some odd airports that need just as much attention as this one. Yet all the communities that have airports, have to go through the planning process of the main estimates.
So my point is, Mr. Chairman, why have these projects not gone through the regular loop of the planning process in the five-year capital planning process that every one of us have to go through as Members and all our communities have to go through and priorize what they want in their capital budget, but we do not see how these large ticket items are all of a sudden popping up. Especially regarding giving grants of $1.5 million, upgrading the airports in the $800,000 and yet we are still not out of the woods yet when it comes to our deficit.
We have to keep that in mind when we look at supplementary appropriations. Ensure it is not being abused by this government. My point to the Minister is, has he looked at and why have these projects not gone through the formal process through 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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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Todd.
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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John Todd Keewatin Central
I will try to answer the question as systematically as I can. I frankly do not understand what my colleague is talking about. There was a school which was burned in Cambridge Bay. It requires $2.9 million on the front end. That was not an anticipated expenditure. There was a short fall of money on the school in Yellowknife that we had negotiated 50 cent dollars with the federal government. We are going to negotiate, we are going to proceed with that one and we are going to negotiate the new $900,000 recovery from the federal government. The expenditures at the airport are on a cost-recovery basis, so the government gets the money back. If the Member would like to be specific about which projects, I would be only too happy to answer.