This is page numbers 47 - 70 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 2nd 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 communities.

Topics

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

I would also like to table the Business Development Fund Recipients, April 1, 1998 to March 31, 1999.

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, in accordance with the Financial Administration Act, I wish to table the following document entitled the Northwest Territories Development Corporation Annual Report 1996-1997, and 1997-1998. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Item 13, tabling of documents. The honourable Minister, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Our Community, Our Decisions - Let's get on with it!, Final Report of the Minister's Forum on Health and Social Services, January, 2000. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 13, tabling of documents. The Honourable Jake Ootes.

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Aurora College Annual Report, 1998-99. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 13, tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. The Chair recognizes the Honourable Jake Ootes.

Bill 1: An Act To Amend The Education Act
Item 17: First Reading Of Bills

Page 61

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker,

I MOVE, seconded by the Honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Education Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 1: An Act To Amend The Education Act
Item 17: First Reading Of Bills

Page 61

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. We have a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 1 has had first reading. Item 17, first reading of bills. Minister Handley.

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker,

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 3, 1999-2000, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Handley. We have a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 2 has had first reading. Item 17, first reading of bills. Minister Handley.

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker,

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Financial Administration Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Handley. We have a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 3 has had first reading. Item 17, first reading of bills. Minister Ootes.

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker,

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. We have a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 4 has had first reading. Item 17, first reading of bills. Minister Steen.

Bill 5: An Act To Amend The Motor Vehicles Act
Item 17: First Reading Of Bills

Page 62

Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker,

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh , that Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 5: An Act To Amend The Motor Vehicles Act
Item 17: First Reading Of Bills

Page 62

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Minister Steen. We have a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favor? All those opposed? Bill 5 has had first reading. Second reading of bills. Before I go to the next item, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize a former Member of the Legislative Assembly in the gallery, Mr. Peter Fraser.

-- Applause

Item 19, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters. On the agenda is Minister's Statement 1-14(2): Sessional Statement, with Mr. Delorey in the chair.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 62

The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

The committee will come to order. Good afternoon. We are dealing with Minister's statement 1-14(2), Sessional Statement, which was tabled in the House February 22, 2000. With that, we will take a short break and reconvene in 15 minutes.

-- Break

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 62

The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

The committee will come back to order. The floor is open for general comments. The Chair recognizes the Member for Mackenzie-Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 62

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I agree with the Premier's statement that we must reduce alcohol and drug consumption in order to reduce violence, family abuse, and the effects of public health through smoking and the consumption of alcohol. I agree that the cost to this government for reducing tobacco consumption will reduce the stress on the health care system. This government spends some $31 million on the health care system. There are areas where we can reduce it.

We can force people through legislation to live healthy lives. However, I feel that this government can give the communities and organizations, band councils, the community justice committees, the legal authority through legislation to make sure the laws we develop are not just on the books for being on the books, but are there to enforce the legislation

One of the biggest concerns we see through plebiscites where we have communities that become dry communities, and then find out even the RCMP are not enforcing the restrictions because they are so vague. No one wants to spend the time and effort to enforce that legislation.

So this government does have a role to play to ensure the communities have the legislative means to enforce legislation in the communities.

The other area I have many concerns with is one I have raised time and time again; the issue of the Tl'oondih Healing Society. That organization was established through the Gwich'in land claim process. One of the priorities of that organization was to find a mechanism in which to deal with the problems the Premier mentioned. They wanted to find a mechanism to have healthy people. So when their land claim agreement was implemented, they had people who were healthy and were not stuck in the social envelope. People who were not dependent on government, but were independent people who have a positive input into that organization.

I have stood time and time again on this issue in this House. At the end of the day, it seemed like it fell on deaf ears. One thing I would like to state that we do not really realize or look at is who is the agency organization that delivers the alcohol to the people in the communities?

The Government of the Northwest Territories is probably one of the biggest bootleggers in the Northwest Territories. The Northwest Territories Liquor Commission owns our liquor outlets, and they are the organization responsible for delivering alcohol to the communities. That commission alone in 1988-1989 returned $16 million in revenues back into this government's coffers. Yet, the amount of money we spend ensuring that money went into treatment facilities, to make sure people had access to deal with the problems of alcohol abuse was cut down next to nil.

We should practice what we preach. If we are going to tell people to quit drinking, to quit smoking and quit this and that, then maybe, the government should seriously consider getting out of the business of providing alcohol to the people in the communities.

The other area that we have to seriously look at when talking of providing for healthy people is the taxes from tobacco. This government receives some $10 million a year from selling cigarettes through tobacco taxes. We benefit from the sale of tobacco through taxes. Yet very little money is spent in putting it back to the area of tobacco abuse prevention, trying to get people to quit smoking and making them aware of health concerns that are associated with smoking, such as lung cancer.

I think there are some major steps this government can take in showing the people that it is not only a people problem, but this government will seriously get out of the business of supplying alcohol to our communities.

At the present time, there is a subsidy for hauling alcohol to locations such as Inuvik or Yellowknife. I think we should do is do away with these subsidies and put the money into health care and making sure that we put it into treatment programs.

I think it would be more beneficial to start subsidizing food products such as eggs, milk and other healthy foods, to ensure people in the communities have access to these healthy foods, instead of having the government subsidize freight for liquor.

I think there are things we can do as a government. We have to accomplish them by working along with the people in our communities. I for one have been working with the community of Fort McPherson to find a way to deal with the alcohol consumption in that community. One of our biggest problems in the small communities is alcohol abuse. Yet the people in communities that try to find mechanisms for dealing with this problem are always stuck in the red tape of laws and regulations that we put in place.

Fort McPherson has gone forth with a plebiscite three times. They have failed three times, because of the principle the percentage needed for the plebiscite to pass is 60 percent. Yet most people are elected in our municipalities with less then 20 percent turn out.

I think these are the type of tools people want to ensure they have a mechanism to pass plebiscites, to give them the tools to find a method where people can find control mechanisms to control the flow of alcohol. If we can do that, we can deal with a major problem in our communities.

But we need the legislation and we need the enforcement mechanisms to ensure that, through laws and the RCMP, we are able to enforce whatever is passed in plebiscites.

In the other area of finding ways to promote healthy people and healthy communities, I mentioned the Tl'oondih Healing Society. One thing we have to realize is because of the number of cuts this government has made, there is a lack of treatment programs for alcohol and drug abuse.

Right now we are scraping away at one organization to deliver treatment programs. We are sending people to southern Canada. At one time, we used to have some kind of drug treatment program in every region. We use to have Delta House in Inuvik. We had the Hay River program. We had the Tl'oondih program. We have programs here in Yellowknife.

On one hand, we can dictate to people quit this bad habit and everything will be okay. But you are dealing with problems that have existed long before this government was even in place. Many of the problems you have with suicide, alcohol abuse, physical abuse, mental abuse has been passed on from generation to generation. People in Fort McPherson blame the alcohol problems on the gold rush in Dawson City. Because at that time that was the first real contact they had with alcohol, in regards to that time period in the 1800's.

So I think for us to do justice to what we say, we should always back it up with dollars and resources to make sure that we have the institutions but that we also have the ability to be what we are elected for.

We have the ability to put forth programs and services on behalf of the residents. I do not think we should be in the business of trying to do business where we are not needed. We should get out of the supplying of alcohol to outlets in the Northwest Territories. We should privatize that. It has been done it in other jurisdictions in southern Canada, Alberta and other places such as that. And also I think we should seriously look at giving the communities the abilities to take care of its problems, but also, to have the resources to do it.

Like the Tl'oondih program, that is a $2.5 million investment that could keep the Gwich'in Tribal Council has made to ensure that they can carry that out. That is an investment that they wanted to work with this government to carry out, but because of the reluctance on the part of this government, it has not gone anywhere. Thank you.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 63

The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. General comments. The Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 23rd, 2000

Page 63

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My comment will not be too long. It will be very brief. I just want to give the Premier feedback on the statement he had made. I would like to indicate to the Premier that I have had responses from some of my constituents who expressed to me that they generally liked what they have heard from this statement.

One of the more specific things that was expressed to me is the general impression of this statement and the emphasis on the importance of the individuals to make the choices. I think many people would agree that a lot of the problems we face, especially in the area of social problems in this Territory, like every other place in Canada, the government cannot do it alone.

If I may say, I do have a bone to pick with the Premier in his reference to the new Members. Because I do believe that the new Members that are here bring more than enthusiasm. I would hate to think that we are just young people with only enthusiasm and no experience and knowledge which he attributed to all the other older Members.

I would like to say that what this statement really said to me is that it is a commitment of the Premier to say that we really are working here, all of us, to build strong individuals, families and communities. And that is what it boils down to.

That is what the government is for. The government cannot do everything for everybody. We cannot fix all the problems. We need to rely on the strength and courage of individuals.

Also, I have to commend the Premier on the list of priorities that he set out. I do not want to read them, as it is already on record, but I do not believe that it received the kind of attention that it deserves in the media and from the public.

The other thing that I took out of the statement is that it is really calling for a partnership between the government and the people, and partnership between federal, territorial public and aboriginal governments.

I think that if we learned anything from what we have gone through since we have been elected to this House and the meetings we have held in public and in private, it is that there is no issue and no problem that we face right now that we can resolve alone in this House. It calls for partnerships at all levels.

I was particularly interested in what the Premier said about the progress that the aboriginal peoples and aboriginal leaders have made in this Territory and in this Assembly.

Mr. Chairman, I am not that old, but in 22 years of living here in Yellowknife, and about 11 years of being involved in and out of government and in and out of this Assembly, I could say that I have personally witnessed the empowerment of aboriginal people in this land and in this Assembly. I was here when the aboriginal leaders were a minority. Their issues were largely ignored. We have witnessed the empowerment of not only the leaders, but a great advancement of the aboriginal issues in this House and across the Territories.

I think it is very important that we celebrate this. That we take a breather and say "look at how far we have come." Our Territory is now made up of half aboriginal and half non-aboriginal people. I think the power of the aboriginal issues and aboriginal people are so obvious now. Because we are calling for an intergovernmental affairs forum, we are asking the aboriginal leaders to help us. Not to just consult, not just give us advice, but we are talking about them taking a direct role in controlling where we are going to go as a Territory, and how we are going to make decisions on a number of issues that we have to deal with, namely the devolution, fiscal situations, social problems, and everything else that the Premier mentioned in the statement.

I would like to highlight three things from the statement. I think I have already stated that I agree with most of the statements that were made.

Under human perspective, the Premier stated that he would like to see a society where children and youth can and are prepared to take advantage of education and training opportunities to grow and prosper.

I would just like to say two things under this heading. One is that I think that the recent settlement of the teacher's strike is one way to advance this. I think the settlement package addresses the high pupil-to-teacher ratio which has been caused partially by an increase in special needs students. This is an issue that was addressed to me time and time again when I was on my campaign trail, going door to door. There are many teachers in my riding and parents with young children. The number one issue they talked to me about is the crowded school situation resulting from the inclusion policy of special need students in their school system.

This is a priority to me Mr. Chairman, I think that this is one area that we have to address if we are going to create a society where the youth and children are going to be able to take advantage of all that is available.

I could also add a personal note to this. I think that when we are being very grim and negative about our social situation, I can say for the record that I think the system we have in the Northwest Territories is something that we have to be very proud of. I came here 22 years ago, when I was 14 years old. I spoke no English. I am a child of a single mother. I came here and I received every kind of help I needed. I had a tutor with me who taught me how to read the cereal box to everything else I needed to eventually do.

I was able to finish my junior high, then senior high. I wanted to be a lawyer and somebody mentioned that I should go and study political science. I was able to do that. Then I wanted to be a lawyer and I was funded to go to law school.

I realize that I had to work hard for that. I always had jobs from the government so that I could pay my way, because my mom was not able to pay a cent of my education or any of my living expenses. I think that when we are looking at what is wrong, it is very important to look at what is right. I understand also, Mr. Chairman, that not everyone in this society can take advantage of what is out there. I understand that not everybody can get everything that I have been able to get. I do not know why that is so, but I know that some people need more help than others.

I think we have to remember that we cannot do everything for everyone. We have to make choices so we help those who need it the most. That is all I am going to say on the human perspective.

The next item I want to mention is the economic perspective, where it was talking about infrastructure. There are two things I would like to say on this. I want to note for the record that over the last ten or 12 years we have had virtually no capital spending in this Territory. We are so burdened with paying for our social spending that we have not been able to spend any money at all on other things. I noticed no money at all on building roads, buildings, or anything that the government has to do to maintain its infrastructure.

I made a statement and I asked questions about the condition of Highway No. 3. I plan on doing that continually, along with other Yellowknife Members, until this matter is resolved.

I was a little alarmed that Highway No. 3 was not mentioned under economic perspective, infrastructure. The road from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk was mentioned, and the Mackenzie Valley, but not Highway No. 3. I am going to read that as saying that it is money for new road projects and that is why it was mentioned there. I appreciate that Highway No. 3 is an existing road and we are talking about reconstruction and not new construction.

Another item I want to mention is division and the cuts in public spending. In this statement when the Premier mentioned the things that we could leave behind. One of the things that was said was that division and cuts in public spending are behind us. I will just wrap it up by saying that I hope there will be no serious job cuts without a rational plan at least.

I want to conclude by saying that I appreciated the Sessional Statement, and I believe that it gave a vision of the Premier and of what he wants to do for the next four years. It was well received by my constituents and I think that it is important that everyone in this House work hard to make this a reality. Thank you.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 64

The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Just for information of the Members, when your time is up, if you use your first ten minutes, you do have a chance to come back and speak again. Mr. Krutko.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 64

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Just a point of order. The process we used yesterday...I wonder if we are going to use the same process. When a Member makes a statement that we get a reply from the Premier, since it is his statement. I would like to get a feel for exactly where we would be with the possibility of privatizing liquor stores and what not.

Would he consider it with the amount of money that we would get back in revenues? I would like to know if the Premier is going to respond, or are we going to do everybody at one time?

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 64

The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. I did not read in your address that there was a question in there. I will seek direction from the House on how we want to proceed. Do we want to proceed with the Premier responding to each Member, or do we want to wait and give the Premier the chance to respond at the end? To each Member? For the record, Mr. Krutko, I do not think that there was a point of order there. However, we will give the Premier, Mr. Kakfwi, a chance to respond.