This is page numbers 91 - 116 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 aboriginal.

Topics

Further Return To Question 36-13(7): Disposition Of Education Board Surpluses
Question 36-13(7): Disposition Of Education Board Surpluses
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 36-13(7): Disposition Of Education Board Surpluses
Question 36-13(7): Disposition Of Education Board Surpluses
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Mr. Minister. The Minister has referred to the area of utilities and leases, surplus in that area. In fact, the South Slave Divisional Education Council also returned $408,000 under the heading of personnel infrastructure, and I am wondering if this change will also affect this area when there is a savings? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 36-13(7): Disposition Of Education Board Surpluses
Question 36-13(7): Disposition Of Education Board Surpluses
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 36-13(7): Disposition Of Education Board Surpluses
Question 36-13(7): Disposition Of Education Board Surpluses
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Mr. Speaker, I cannot answer that question at present. I will take it as notice and get back to the Member.

Further Return To Question 36-13(7): Disposition Of Education Board Surpluses
Question 36-13(7): Disposition Of Education Board Surpluses
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. The question is taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. O'Brien.

Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister responsible for RWED, Mr. Kakfwi. Mr. Speaker, a number of months ago this government awarded a $500,000 contract to Roland Bailey and Associates to develop two economic strategies one for the west, and one for Nunavut. I wonder if the Minister could update me or refresh my memory as to where this stands to date, especially as it relates to the Nunavut Strategy? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Kakfwi.

Return To Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The contract was given to Bailey and Associates last spring. The intent was to develop an economic strategy for Nunavut and for the western Northwest Territories. In the end, the agreement was to let Nunavut develop their own strategy at a time of their own choosing and we focused on developing a paper that would outline an economic strategy for the western Arctic. The initial draft was given to the government in November, we asked for substantive revisions and it came back in February as a discussion paper. The contract has been considered fulfilled and Bailey and Associates have finished their work and their contract with us as a government. Thank you.

Return To Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Supplementary To Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is the Minister saying that, just for point of clarification, that the portion of the contract that was awarded to Bailey and Associates to do the economic strategy for Nunavut is now in the hands of another company, corporation or consultant to do that work? Is that correct?

Supplementary To Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, the people of Nunavut have indicated early last year that they would prefer to develop an economic strategy at a time and of a nature of their own choosing and did not wish to necessarily have one developed at this time or in tandem with one for the Western Territory, so a draft economic strategy was prepared only for the western part of the Northwest Territories, initially by Bailey and Associates, and presented to this government in November. The government received the document, as Members are aware, the MLAs were not provided with copies of that draft because we felt substantive revisions had to be made to it; so we held the original draft and sent it back to the contractors with requests for substantive revisions.

It came back in February as a discussion paper to facilitate discussions in the Western Territory about what an economic strategy might look like in the Western Territory. I was assigned responsibility for the economic strategy in January, and discussions with Cabinet and various community leaders in the Western Territory felt it was not prudent for us to advance a draft economic strategy that was developed at the territorial level largely by consultants. We had the paper revised to basically be a discussion paper that we could use in advancing the idea of an economic strategy, and we took the view that we have to go to the community leaders, largely the aboriginal leaders in the Western Territory, and ask them to work with us in developing an economic strategy for the Western Territory. That is really where we are now at this time. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Supplementary To Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, given the fact that the terms of reference for this contract when it was awarded, I believe stated that there be two economic strategies developed by Bailey and Associates, I assume that the costs of the contract, whether that was $400,000 or $500,000; that was altered, given the fact that Nunavut will not receive an economic strategy by Bailey and Associates?

Supplementary To Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, the economic strategy was assigned to John Todd, the Minister of Finance, from last March up until January, when I assumed responsibility for it. The original contract and the details of that would have to be answered by the Premier, since I am not privy to the information since the responsibility for the terms of reference and the contract with the consultants was not done through my department, but rather through the Department of Finance.

I do know as I said, Nunavut was consulted throughout the process and there was some discussion of the draft economic strategy through the Nunavut Economic Forum in November. I was aware that members of the Nunavut Economic Forum were given copies of the draft economic strategy that Bailey and Associates submitted to this government in November, but we chose not to circulate or make that available here in the West, or to the public because of concerns we had about the paper, so we resubmitted to the contractors for substantive revisions.

The details of whether Nunavut was to be included, what was provided to them, and whether the costs of the contract included providing some product, some paper to the Nunavut government is unknown to me at this time and would have to be answered by the Premier. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

Supplementary To Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Kevin O'Brien Kivallivik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure if I should continue my question with the Minister of RWED or if I can ask the Minister if he would find out from Mr. Todd if the dollar value for the contract was altered or reduced, given the fact that only half of the work would be completed. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What I will do is work with the Premier and the Minister of Finance to provide some answers to the Member's question. I will review Hansard tomorrow and make sure I have done everything that should be done to answer the questions posed by the Member. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Question 37-13(7): Economic Strategy For Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Mr. Barnabas.

Barnabas

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of the Power Corporation, the Honourable Charles Dent. We understand that NTPC is going to have a division. There will be 50 percent and 30 percent in Nunavut, but we never heard the rate. How much will there be? It will be seven percent in Nunavut and five percent in the west? The reason why I am asking this question is because I am aware that the Nunavut people will be paying more. I know we have one year to make a decision as to how the rates will be set. (Translation ends)

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister responsible for the Power Corporation, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 38-13(7): Future Power Rates In Nunavut
Question 38-13(7): Future Power Rates In Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have a transition agreement now with Nunavut to cover the terms of operation of the Power Corporation for the next year, and the one following if the two parties cannot come to an agreement on a long-term solution. Under the terms of the transition agreement, for two years at least, of the division of the Power Corporation, should result in no increase in rates to residents of Nunavut or the west. During this two-year transition period, the corporation will operate pretty much the same as it does right now. There may be some rate adjustments in some communities at the end of March this year, but those are a result of changes approved by the Public Utilities Board in 1997. They have not been implemented until this year.

There is no proposal to raise the rates during the transition agreement because of any extra costs for division. That would not take place during the two-year transition agreement. However, Mr. Speaker, if the Power Corporation is divided, we have projected there will be at least a seven percent increase, and as much as ten or 11 percent in the cost of power in Nunavut to pay for the increased cost of overhead and loss of efficiency in having a smaller corporation. In the west, we see a projected increase of approximately five percent if we are not successful in keeping the corporation together after two years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 38-13(7): Future Power Rates In Nunavut
Question 38-13(7): Future Power Rates In Nunavut
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Barnabas.