Thank you. Is the information that we are receiving, does mean that this $155,000 that is in here or what does that mean? I did not think it was tied to this in any way. It was simply that the GNWT did not place a cap on the amount of money that could be forgiven. They would match whatever the municipality forgave and in the instance of the city of Yellowknife, I think it is $1,000 or something like that.
Debates of April 22nd, 1999
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.
Topics
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 299
Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 299
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 299
Christensen
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I guess I will elaborate a little bit to say that within the department we have not really pursued that option very far at all. The philosophy behind the original program was for the department to respond by providing assistance to seniors and disabled persons to a rebate on their property taxes, but it was to take the policy lead of the municipal government itself as opposed to say that we would share it 50/50 up to the total bill, to avoid, I suppose, the situation where we might fund 100 percent and the
municipality may only fund 80 percent. That was the basis for the way the program was designed was to take the lead from the municipal government and how it set its local policy on property tax assistance for that group. Thank you.
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Sorry, I had a note here that I forgot to mention. If I recall correctly, what we had recommended was that the department try to convince the city and other municipalities that they should use a means test so that all senior citizens are not cut off after a certain point. Some people may be able to afford to pay their taxes but others might be just barely getting by because they might only be on Canada Pension which a lot of them are only getting $700 or $800 a month or something like that. Can we find out if there was anything that was done to try to see if a means test could be put into place for people once they reach a certain level?
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
McLeod
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. My understanding is our predecessor may have raised this with the City administration but we are prepared to review it and to determine how we could work it on that basis, and to bring it forward to the City who has always taken the lead in determining the level of tax relief for senior citizens. We would be prepared to raise this matter with the suggestion that they apply a means test to the tax relief that is provided to senior citizens if that is the direction we are given here. Thank you.
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
The Chair Jane Groenewegen
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. I have on my list Mr. Krutko and Mr. Henry. Mr. Krutko.
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Just following up on Mr. Erasmus' questions, I believe this issue came up a couple of years ago. We were trying to find a way to streamline the whole tax system because it is very cumbersome for a lot of the elders to try to understand why they keep getting these tax notices and exactly what they are for. I do not think a lot of them understand that there is the rebate system. One of the things we are suggesting if we could co-ordinate it with their pensions, that automatically they will not have to pay property taxes because of them receiving their pensions. Automatically, the government would know that these are elders and these people do not have to file for this exemption every year. I would like to ask the department what they have done to consider revising this system?
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Madam Chairperson, what the department could do is research the intent of the motion that was passed last year in this House and the comments from the Members at that time, as well as, we would take into consideration the comments and the suggestions made by the Members today and try to come up with some solution to the problem. However, in response to Mr. Krutko's question, I direct the question to Mr. McLeod.
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
McLeod
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. We are quite prepared to work with our colleagues under the social envelope where we work with the various departments such as Health and Social Services and Education, and so on, to try to ensure that we tie all of these programs together so that we minimize the amount of hassles that we have for senior citizens, so that we can try to ensure that our programs that we deliver are in the best interests of the senior citizens. Thank you.
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. When I look at the NWT Association of Municipalities, I see the same levels of funding proposed in the 1999-2000 Main Estimates as has been in the previous year. Is there an explanation for why the same amount of funding would be given to the organization? Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
McLeod
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. The amount of funding remains the same because my understanding is that we have not adjusted the amounts. This is an amount that only goes to the NWTAM in the west and we also assist the association through other means of funding, through extraordinary funding and also the association does undertake its own fundraising in various respects. We work closely with the association and we have not seen the need to increase the amount. As you are aware, the association over this past April 1st has split into two associations, into the NWT Association of Municipalities and the Nunavut Association of Municipalities. Thank you.
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Thank you for the information that the association is splitting into two bodies. Again, it just begs the question, if this government has funded the NWT Association of Municipalities $131,000 last year for a complete Northwest Territories as it was prior to April 1st, why are we funding the same amount of money for a much smaller area? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 300
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
April 22nd, 1999
Page 300
McLeod
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe the reason is exactly the same as these numbers have been adjusted to reflect only the west so the previous year's figures have been adjusted and been restated so the Nunavut components have already been taken out. For that reason, it reads the same. Thank you.
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 301
Committee Motion 2-13(7): Recommendation To Standardize Maca Organization Charts On GNWT Wide Basis
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 301
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can the Minister give me the actual figures that the Association of Municipalities were funded by the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 1998-1999 fiscal year?