This is page numbers 273 - 302 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 chairman.

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I sit here and listen with the greatest of interest to the Minister of RWED, and his responses to my colleague, Mr. Krutko of the MacKenzie Delta and Mr. Erasmus, of Yellowknife North. The Arctic Canada Trading Company and the Development Corporation in general, just so I get a clear picture, Mr. Speaker, of what is really happening. The Development Corporation is revising a business plan, that is what the Minister said. The Development Corporation is reviewing its operation with Arctic Canada Trading Company, but prior to the review being finalized, prior to the business plan being finalized they are starting to shut down their operations in southern Canada. They shut down an operation in the Vancouver area, he mentioned. They shut down an operation in Calgary, he mentioned, so are they shutting down stores, Mr. Speaker, prior to the finish of a revised business plan or an actual business plan or action plan. Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Kakfwi.

Return To Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 280

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these decisions were made because of things like timelines and the need to renew leases, so whether or not there was a review in the reduction of funding, I believe that it was the view of the staff and the people in charge of the Development Corporation that, following Mr. Soloy leaving that we could no longer rationalize and continue to operate these outlets in southern Canada and that business decisions had to be made and they were made. These did not impact on the northern communities. These were outlets that were set up in southern cities to make money and to sell our products in southern outlets and they were not doing that very well. Thank you.

Return To Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 280

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Morin.

Supplementary To Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 280

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that answer. My supplementary is for the same Minister. It is not actually that the Minister's department is reviewing the operations. They have already actioned these things. They have already done things. So it cannot be said that they are waiting for a review, because action has been taken. They have decided to shut down two southern stores. I do not know, Mr. Speaker, if the community businesses depend on southern products they produce or not. Does that work into the equation and how are they going to sell the products? Usually you do not go on a boat trip and burn the boat from underneath you. You need to get there. If there is no plan in place, to replace the stores they shut down in southern Canada, how are they going to market the products in the Northwest Territories and when will that plan be ready?

Also, Mr. Speaker, I guess I am concerned with the Minister and his response to the Members and bringing private citizens' names into the Assembly because none of us do that because of respect for those people. I am sure there was a ruling before on that. So possibly the Minister could refrain from that as well, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 280

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Member for Tu Nedhe can rise on a point of order if he has a problem or if his privilege has been denied. Mr. Morin.

Point of Order

Supplementary To Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 280

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise on a point of order. The Minister of RWED raised an individual or a private citizen's name in the Assembly. That individual has no way of defending himself or reputing or anything else in this House. Mr. Speaker, I know you have made a ruling on that before and it just concerns me when individuals, whether they are employees or not, private citizens' names are used in the Assembly by a Minister of this government. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 280

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

I will make my ruling on your point once I review the Hansard. Thank you. Mr. Kakfwi, I heard two questions.

Further Return To Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 280

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I only recall one. It is in regard to how will we market the products that are produced in our communities and when will the business plan be ready to reflect that. I would say that Arctic Trading can continue if the President and the board believe it is the best way to market.

The challenge, as I said, is for the new President and the board to prepare a business plan that will allow them to continue operating a headquarters and Arctic Trading, if they wish, or some sort of a marketing agency to continue to operate the subsidiaries with the approved subsidies that have been extended. This business plan is being developed, it is underway and will include some indication and will be prepared after discussions with the various community subsidiaries that the Development Corporation has as how they, the communities, wish marketing to be done. Whether it is exclusively through Arctic Trading, if not, what other options do they wish to look at, or do they want to do their own marketing exclusively. That is going to be an item of discussion, I believe, that Mr. Koe is going to have, the new president of the NWT Development Corporation, will have with the existing subsidiaries. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 280

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Morin.

Supplementary To Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 280

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister stated earlier in response to a question that these plans and these

shutting down of stores was developed by the NWT Development Corporation through the Arctic Trading Store. The plans were developed but I also know, Mr. Speaker, that there is a Board of Directors of the NWT Development Corporation. Is this shutdown and this restructure initiated through the board at all or does the board play any role at all in these types of decisions, or is it all directed directly out of the Minister's office and through his deputy minister? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 281

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 281

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, I will take the question as notice because I think it is important to avoid quibbling about exactly who did what to whom at what time that I prepare a written response to that. There are certain specific dates...

Further Return To Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 281

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The question is taken as notice. So noted. Mr. Morin.

Point of Privilege

Further Return To Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 281

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Point of privilege. Sorry, Mr. Speaker. Myself, as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Tu Nedhe, take my questioning of Ministers very seriously, and I take that privilege to be a serious privilege, and I do not take it as quibbling. I am sure Mr. Krutko does not take it as quibbling, or Mr. Erasmus, when we ask this Minister questions. I would appreciate it very much if he does not try to swipe it away as such, like he just finished stating. Our questions as Members in this Legislative Assembly to Ministers in this Legislative Assembly are serious business. We are representing our constituents. It is on the order paper, question period, not quibbling period. If he does not like the questions he does not have to answer them, but we have the right to ask the questions. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Question 103-13(7): Closure Of Southern Outlets Of Arctic Canada Trading Company
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 281

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Again, to ask the Members if they can respond without upsetting Members on either side of the House when they respond to questions or are asking questions. There is no point of privilege. The Member is not stopped from carrying out his duty. Perhaps just the language that is being used in this Chamber has upset the Member, but there was no point of privilege. Oral questions. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently in the House we have been speaking quite frequently about the cost and usefulness of studies, strategies, review, et cetera. Not so long ago the Department of Health and Social Services commissioned a report called the Med-Emerg Report, at a reported cost of $750,000. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Did that report serve as a useful document to the operations of the department, and could he tell us if it enhanced the delivery of health and social services to the people of the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 104-13(7): Med-emerg Report Implementation
Question 104-13(7): Med-emerg Report Implementation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 281

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we know the Med-Emerg Report did receive a lot of debate in this Assembly. It was commissioned by the previous Minister, now moved on to Nunavut. The Med-Emerg Report itself was delivered to the department and is being used in a number of areas in the health care system, but it is early in the process to gauge if there is an actual end effect from the report. I know, for example, in confirming with the Member for Mackenzie Delta that the Department of Health and Social Services will go out and do a ministerial forum on western health care. Parts of the Med-Emerg Report will be used in setting up that process. We believe that all the work that has been done on behalf of this government through the Med-Emerg, we will be able to take some positive aspects of that and move forward with other initiatives. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 104-13(7): Med-emerg Report Implementation
Question 104-13(7): Med-emerg Report Implementation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 281

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 104-13(7): Med-emerg Report Implementation
Question 104-13(7): Med-emerg Report Implementation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 281

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my honourable colleagues in this House have suggested it is being, in fact, used and used as a doorstop, but the Minister assures us that that is not the case. I do recall debate in this House on the Med-Emerg Report but, in fact, I think the majority of the debate was on the cost of the report as opposed to the contents of the report. Mr. Speaker, were any of the recommendations contained in the Med-Emerg Report implemented to date? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 104-13(7): Med-emerg Report Implementation
Question 104-13(7): Med-emerg Report Implementation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 281

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Roland.

Supplementary To Question 104-13(7): Med-emerg Report Implementation
Question 104-13(7): Med-emerg Report Implementation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 281

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While conferring with my colleagues here on the Med-Emerg Report I failed to catch the last part of the Member's question. I apologize for that, but can she repeat that, please.

Supplementary To Question 104-13(7): Med-emerg Report Implementation
Question 104-13(7): Med-emerg Report Implementation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 281

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 104-13(7): Med-emerg Report Implementation
Question 104-13(7): Med-emerg Report Implementation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 281

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will leave out my preamble. Were any of the recommendations of the Med-Emerg Report implemented to date? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.