This is page numbers 15 - 38 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 7th 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

Supplementary To Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 26

O'Brien

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the Minister would be so kind as to inform the House as to what other criteria were considered aside from price, awarding this contract to a company outside the Northwest Territories?

Supplementary To Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 26

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Dent

Further Return To Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 26

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am advised that the other criteria included things such as payment terms, contract risk, contract administration, risk and flexibility, customer service and the desirability of a future competitive purchasing environment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 26

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Supplementary To Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 26

O'Brien

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is it fair to say that a company that has been doing business in the Northwest Territories and the eastern Arctic for the last 25 years, such as NTCL, did not meet these other criteria? Is that what the Minister is saying?

Supplementary To Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 26

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 26

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Mr. Speaker, The evaluation showed in these other criteria that Woodward Oil came out somewhat ahead and that was the reason for the decision. I did not say that NTCL could not meet them.

One important aspect to note in my previous answer, Mr. Speaker, was the potential for a competitive environment in the future. This is one area that was taken into account when they awarded this tender. It is also important to point out that it would appear that NTCL will be awarded the contract for delivery of about 85 percent of our total requirements across the Northwest Territories. We are not talking about a huge loss for the company. In fact, they are still going to be the largest shipper of oil for this government and for the Power Corporation in the north. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Question 14-13(7): Nwtpc Fuel Supply Contract Process
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 26

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Finance. It is in regard to the

critical issues relating to staff and unresolved personnel issues, specifically, pay equity and the collective agreement. Could the Minister update this House as to the status of those initiatives? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Return To Question 15-13(7): Collective Bargaining And Pay Equity
Question 15-13(7): Collective Bargaining And Pay Equity
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 27

John Todd Keewatin Central

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There really are two issues, or three. One is the collective agreement, one is the settlement agreement with respect to pay equity and the other issue which was raised by a number of Members was, what are you doing about the non-unionized employees on the pay equity side?

On the non-unionized employees, Cabinet colleagues support me, and we are going to provide them with the same benefits as the other members with respect to pay equity, that is going to get done and is being done as we speak. On the collective agreement, they are out right now asking the membership to vote on it, and I hope, and I am confident that our employees will sign off that collective agreement, because it puts significant new dollars in their hands. In particular, there are some areas where we have had some problems, community nurses, et cetera, along with, of course, everybody else.

On the pay equity sensitive issue, as most of you know now, we did send out and were given legal advice on our right to send out a letter to individual employees, indicating to them what the pay equity would be in accordance with our calculations and our belief that the Hay Plan Evaluation System was a fair gender neutral one. We have had considerable success in the returns to date. We have somewhere in the region of about 64 percent of people have signed off on the pay equity and have returned it, and we are trying to issue the cheques as quickly as we can.

We have extended the deadline, if you want, for returning the pay equity agreements until the end of March, and I am optimistic that we will get somewhere between 70 percent or more of our employees signing off on the pay equity issue. Hopefully, at the end of the day, by doing this, we will have concluded a very tough and difficult issue for a number of our employees and to some extent, reduced the long-term liability that two new governments may have if there are any future liability issues that unfold in the coming years, because it will literally take years for us to try and resolve this issue with the Tribunal with the Commission.

Return To Question 15-13(7): Collective Bargaining And Pay Equity
Question 15-13(7): Collective Bargaining And Pay Equity
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 27

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

Supplementary To Question 15-13(7): Collective Bargaining And Pay Equity
Question 15-13(7): Collective Bargaining And Pay Equity
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 27

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister indicate as to whether the vote on the collective agreement will be in before the end of the month, so that there will be certainty and could he also put a number to the 64 percent? What does that translate into in terms of a large number compared to what? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 15-13(7): Collective Bargaining And Pay Equity
Question 15-13(7): Collective Bargaining And Pay Equity
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 27

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Todd.

Further Return To Question 15-13(7): Collective Bargaining And Pay Equity
Question 15-13(7): Collective Bargaining And Pay Equity
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 27

John Todd Keewatin Central

We indicated to the UNW that it was imperative they move quickly to allow the membership to vote on the agreement as we laid it out. We have done that and I am optimistic and hopeful that we can get that concluded by the end of March. We certainly want to get that resolved. I am fairly confident we will. I know we are having meetings about it in each of the areas, the ridings, if you want to call it that, to try to get the membership to vote. It is something like a six week process. Today, is the 15th or 16th; hopefully, we will get that done in the next week or so. I certainly hope so.

On the pay equity, of course, it changes daily because we are being flooded with letters coming in. To date, we have as of yesterday, we have 2,600 out of a total of 4,400. Recognize that some of these employees are no longer with us and some of them are with us. Right now, that is what we are sitting with to a total value of about $15.5 million. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 15-13(7): Collective Bargaining And Pay Equity
Question 15-13(7): Collective Bargaining And Pay Equity
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 27

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to point out for Mr. Miltenberger, that, in fact, this would be it, 14 Members, six Cabinet, seven or eight Ordinary Members. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, is with respect to the Healthy Children Initiative which was introduced by this government. This is a fund which non-profit community organizations in my riding have come to rely on for implementing program and service delivery in Hay River. I was wondering if the Minister could please up- date us on the status of the Healthy Children Initiative funding?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 16-13(7): Healthy Children Initiative
Question 16-13(7): Healthy Children Initiative
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 27

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, most Members will be aware that for the first two years of the program, Health and Social Services and Education, Culture and Employment were granted base funding of $3 million for the Healthy Children Initiative. We found a way to top that up with some extra money, which I believe was about $350,000 a year. This funding, was not available to us past March 31, 1999, into the new fiscal year. There was some concern among agencies that there would be some reduction in funding. Added to the concern about the decreasing dollars, in some communities we received a dramatic increase in numbers of applications, so there were more programs applying for funding than we had seen in the past. Therefore, there was much more competition for the

available dollars.

The budget has not yet been introduced, Mr. Speaker, but I am confident that we will find a way to address the shortfall expected in the program. I believe we will find a way to carry on the program with the same dollar amounts in the next fiscal year as what we have had in the past. One of the sources of the funding will be Phase 2 of the National Child Benefit, which will be coming into place on the 1st of July, and it will provide us with some money to put into the program. We are actively looking within the department for other sources of funds which we can reallocate to ensure that the program can continue at the same funding level. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 16-13(7): Healthy Children Initiative
Question 16-13(7): Healthy Children Initiative
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 28

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 16-13(7): Healthy Children Initiative
Question 16-13(7): Healthy Children Initiative
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 28

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To confirm that I understand what the Minister is saying then. What he is saying is, so far as he can predict without the budget being passed in the House, that we will be looking at a continuing source of funding in the $3 million range for Healthy Children Initiative programming after March 31st? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 16-13(7): Healthy Children Initiative
Question 16-13(7): Healthy Children Initiative
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 28

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 16-13(7): Healthy Children Initiative
Question 16-13(7): Healthy Children Initiative
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 28

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The $3 million should be fairly certain because it is part of our base budget. It was the extra few hundred thousand dollars that the department has been scrambling to make up, that we had been providing for the first two years of the program. I am confident we will find some way to maintain the program at the same level of funding as in this current year. However, that will still leave a problem in some communities where there has been more competition for the available dollars. Even if we can come up with exactly the same dollars in some communities, there has been an increase in applications for funding. The regional committees that are making decisions on how the funding should be allocated may face some difficult choices. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 16-13(7): Healthy Children Initiative
Question 16-13(7): Healthy Children Initiative
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 28

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 16-13(7): Healthy Children Initiative
Question 16-13(7): Healthy Children Initiative
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 28

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the Minister speaks of allocation of funding, is there a certain amount that is allocated per community this time, that has been set and will continue to be in place? Is that on some type of formula per capita or what is the standard for that formula? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.