This is page numbers 521 - 548 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 education.

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Supplementary To Question 187-13(7): Ministerial Severance Packages
Question 187-13(7): Ministerial Severance Packages
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 531

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Nunavut Cabinet Ministers had not resigned prior and had just let the clock run out on their terms and had left after March 31st, they would not have received ministerial severance packages? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 187-13(7): Ministerial Severance Packages
Question 187-13(7): Ministerial Severance Packages
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 531

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Antoine.

Further Return To Question 187-13(7): Ministerial Severance Packages
Question 187-13(7): Ministerial Severance Packages
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, according to this policy, if they would have let their term run out to the end of March, they would not have been eligible for the severance pay of the two months of their salary. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 187-13(7): Ministerial Severance Packages
Question 187-13(7): Ministerial Severance Packages
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 531

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 187-13(7): Ministerial Severance Packages
Question 187-13(7): Ministerial Severance Packages
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 531

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, was this unique to Nunavut Cabinet Ministers leaving this department and would it be within the Premier's knowledge whether Cabinet Ministers would have done the same thing, for example, resigning two days prior to the end of their term at the end of the 12th Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 187-13(7): Ministerial Severance Packages
Question 187-13(7): Ministerial Severance Packages
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 532

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

I will rule the question out of order. The Members cannot ask questions about the previous Assemblies. Oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transportation. It is in regards to an issue that I have raised in this House. It is about the increased number of highway fatalities on our highway system. In 1996, there were some 160 highway accidents. Mr. Speaker, in 1997 there was an increase of 130 accidents on our highway systems. Mr. Speaker, also the record shows that there has been a decrease in the number of registered vehicles and licences issued in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the concern I have is the cause of the increased number of fatalities on the road systems. I travel a lot on the highway systems, and one of the biggest concerns that I see on the highway system is the question about dust control. Also, problems driving on the highway system especially in the summertime with 24 hours sunlight where you have a hard time seeing if there is a vehicle in front of you and also of the vehicles coming to you. You cannot always determine exactly where these vehicles are on the road or if there is a turn coming up. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister about the number of fatalities that are on our road systems, and the large cause of these accidents are because of the dust problems we have on a lot of our roads which are gravel highways. What is this department doing to improve, repair, and maintain those highway systems so that we can decrease the number fatalities on those roads?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Return To Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On Nwt Highways
Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On NWT Highways
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are talking about highways in general. The department, as everybody knows, is working towards hard topping the highway from the border to Yellowknife. Those other highways that are heavily used are normally calcium-applied for dust control. If the Member is referring specifically to the highway in his region which is the Dempster, at this point in time, the department is working towards widening that highway, and we are applying dust controlled-calcium in those areas that are critical at this point in time like approaches to the bridges or approaches to the communities. We are also, at this point in time, considering whether we can afford to put or apply more calcium to the Dempster.

Mr. Speaker, as all the Members know, whether the department is going to be able to have more funding to apply more dust control to the highways, we are also competing with the funding that the House has been directing towards the social programs in the last couple of days like education. The government needs direction as to what the priorities are. Right now there is no doubt my department places a high priority on dust control. But again, it depends on how much money we are given to do the job with. Thank you.

Return To Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On Nwt Highways
Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On NWT Highways
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 532

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On Nwt Highways
Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On NWT Highways
Item 6: Oral Questions

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David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the highway system, as we know it, from Enterprise to Yellowknife is some 333 kilometres, yet the Dempster Highway from the border to Inuvik is 272 kilometres with a difference of almost 60 kilometres. Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if Highway 8 is in Alaska or whatever, but it is part of the Northwest Territories. This is the second longest stretch of highway we have to maintain in the Northwest Territories. Why is it that that highway is being treated any differently than any highway. When you talk about money, I just heard the Minister mention earlier that there is some $60 million to build a bridge across the MacKenzie River. I would like to ask the Minister, why is the dust control such a problem with this government, yet we are spending some $50 million to upgrade Highway 8? Why is there no money for dust control?

Supplementary To Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On Nwt Highways
Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On NWT Highways
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Steen.

Further Return To Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On Nwt Highways
Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On NWT Highways
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, highways have designated ratings, we would call, depending on traffic volume. Also the highway from the border to Yellowknife has been designated as part of the national highway system, so therefore it gets priority treatment as far as federal funding is concerned. I do not know who, in the past, designated that as the national highway system versus the Dempster or versus Highway 1 all the way to Wrigley, but it is designated. We have to accept that. I presume it was in relation to the amount of traffic. That is why the portion of the highway from the Alberta border to Yellowknife is, in fact, getting more capital funding directed towards it than the Dempster. Of course, again, everybody is going to use the arguments that even though the Dempster is longer, it does not make it more heavily travelled. The department is directing the funding towards the heaviest travelled portions of our highways, and that is from here to Alberta, from Yellowknife to Alberta at this time. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On Nwt Highways
Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On NWT Highways
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On Nwt Highways
Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On NWT Highways
Item 6: Oral Questions

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David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was under the understanding that the National Highway Strategy was to link the capitals of all provinces to Ottawa and because of it being funded from the federal government, why is it that there is not any access funding from this government internally over and above the money that we get from the National Highway Strategy? Are there two pots of funds for funding the highway system in the Northwest Territories? The National Highway Strategy is a federal program. Do we have funds in the Government of the Northwest Territories budget to maintain our existing highway systems besides Highway 3?

Supplementary To Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On Nwt Highways
Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On NWT Highways
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 532

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Steen.

Further Return To Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On Nwt Highways
Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On NWT Highways
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not 100 percent sure, but I would suggest that the national highway program is not strictly a federal program. It was a program agreed to by the provinces and the territories, as well as the federal government. I am told by my honourable colleague here, Mr. Roland, that part of the National Highway Strategy was to connect capital cities. Yellowknife is a capital city and I suppose until Fort McPherson becomes the next capital, then we are not going to get highway funding down the Dempster or a recognition of the Dempster Highway as well as the capital funding. I do not know.

Again like I said, this was made long before my time that these decisions were made as to what portions of the highway get what portions of the funding. In response to the Member's question as to this government's share of the funding, like I said earlier, Mr. Speaker, the department gets its money for highway maintenance and highway construction from this Assembly. If the Assembly places highways as their priority, then the department will respond accordingly. But right now, highways is not a priority in this government. Priority is education and health. I cannot speak towards whether we are going to obtain any more funding than we already have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On Nwt Highways
Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On NWT Highways
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 533

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On Nwt Highways
Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On NWT Highways
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 533

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it was clear in my statement that the concern I have is the whole question about public safety. I think public safety is not a priority of this government. We are definitely in the wrong boat. But I believe, Mr. Speaker, one of the conditions of the Department of Transportation is to ensure the public has a safe means of transferring themselves from one point to the other without being concerned of having an accident on the road systems. I would like to ask the Minister, what is his department doing to improve the public safety of our highway systems to ensure they are maintained and also improved so that everybody feels safe driving on our highway systems?

Supplementary To Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On Nwt Highways
Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On NWT Highways
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 533

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Steen.

Further Return To Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On Nwt Highways
Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On NWT Highways
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 533

Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can assure the Member that safety is the highest priority of the Department of Transportation. We would not build new highways if we could not maintain our existing ones to a safe standard. That is priority number one, to keep the existing highways to safe standards. We are, at this point in time, investing $2.5 million on the Dempster capital every year to improve the safety of that highway. We invest as well, I am not 100 percent sure the amount of money we put into dust control, but we do put money into dust control for the Dempster as well. Like I advised the Member, we are reconsidering how much more we can add to that in order to improve dust control on the Dempster. But that is what the department is doing as far as improving safety on the Dempster Highway. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On Nwt Highways
Question 188-13(7): Reducing Accidents On NWT Highways
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Mr. Erasmus.

Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, at the end of March I had asked questions about summer student employment. I had received a reply that there was going to be a central hiring agency in Yellowknife and that all our departments can access the central registry and hire students listed in the registry. Mr. Speaker, not too long ago there was an interview on CBC, in fact on April 13th, and one of the coordinators of the program indicated was interviewed there. There was an indication that this program would ensure that all qualified students would be matched up with relevant and suitable summer employment. Could the Minister indicate whether this program actually is done by that central agency? Do they actually place the students or are the students hired by the departments or whoever they want from those students that place their names on the registry? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

Return To Question 189-13(7): Central Student Hiring Agency
Question 189-13(7): Central Student Hiring Agency
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I must confess that I am not familiar with that level of detail on that particular issue. I do know that the million dollars that we have sitting there waiting for student employment is sitting their gathering interest and we are looking forward to hopefully very soon being able to put that money to work through the process that the Member outlined for Yellowknife. As to the level of detail, I cannot tell the Member, but I would be happy to commit to get that information for him.