Thank you, Mr. Handley. The Chair recognizes Mr. Nitah.
Debates of June 27th, 2000
This is page numbers 185 - 240 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 3rd 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 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would just like to ask the Minister a question about the forest fire suppression. I represent two communities that are not regional centres. They are outlying communities managed by regional centres such as Fort Smith. Many people in my communities fight fires at one time or another. I started my working life at an early age fighting fires.
The tools you use in doing the job are very important. It is not an easy job. It is quite dirty. It is laborious and often dangerous. I have great concern when I have constituents coming to me with concerns and complaints about how regions divvy up equipment that is purchased new.
What often happens, according to personal experience and from what constituents tell me, is that regional centres buy brand new equipment and ship used equipment down the line to the communities for people like my constituents to use. I would recommend, and I hope the Minister takes this seriously, when regional centres purchase new equipment, they should also purchase new equipment for the communities, and not provide hand-me-downs. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
Joe Handley Weledeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I will commit that we will purchase the equipment as it is needed. If it is needed more in the outlying communities, that is where the new equipment will go. We will not retain it back in the regional centres. If there are examples of that happening, and it has been an issue that has been around for years, I urge the Member or the community to let me know and we will take it seriously. Thank you.
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister just confirmed what I just stated. It has been happening for years. I think the department should have a look at it, especially with this new initiative of devolving responsibility to community economic development corporations. They have a hard enough time financially. They should not be burdened with having to compete with regional centres that are still government-run for equipment.
We are talking about the morale of the men and women working for these organizations. If they see one community having better equipment than they do, that is going to affect their morale. It is also going to affect the quality of the job they do.
I think it is a problem. I have been approached by one of my communities and have been told this is happening. I would just like to make the Minister aware of that.
Another issue of concern with fire suppression and emergency firefighters, I am wondering if the pay scale has changed in the last number of years. Can the Minister answer that for me? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
Joe Handley Weledeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, about three years ago, we made a major change to the pay scale to bring them in line with people doing similar work. Since that time, it has not fallen badly behind. It is a fairly reasonable pay scale right now. Thank you.
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
The Chair Paul Delorey
Thank you, Mr. Handley. Forest management, operating expense, page 11-25. Total operating expense, $29,164,000.
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
The Chair Paul Delorey
Thank you. Page 11-27, forest management, grants and contributions, grants, total grants, $100,000.
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
The Chair Paul Delorey
Thank you. Page 11-28, information, active positions. Page 11-29, lease commitments, infrastructure, information item. Mr. Krutko.
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 213
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, this was an issue that has come up for several years, the affirmative action policy in the government. There has been a concern in the middle management area. I know the department has done great in increasing the affirmative action statistics, especially when it comes to aboriginal people. Most of those positions are seasonal positions because of the forest fire management area and the wildlife officers.
I would like to ask the Minister if they have implemented any programs or courses to assist aboriginal people or women within your department to take extra training, so they are able to get the skills needed for middle or senior management, so they are able to move into the higher levels of the government? What have you done to improve that incentives like taking courses or looking at apprentice programs where you train people and work them into different jobs?
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 214
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 214
Joe Handley Weledeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, two initiatives we have undertaken recently are, we have a training position in each region. A position which is there as a trainee. As well, we also consider, or encourage as many aboriginal people as possible to take education leave. The amount they would be eligible for would depend on how long they have been with the department and are in the training. We also have a practice of hiring students. We have 66 students on staff, to give them experience.
Also, we do a lot of direct appointment of people if we have aboriginal candidates for positions. We have supported aboriginal people in pursuing higher education. For example, we have one person who is working on his doctorate, Joe Dragon from Fort Smith.
We have been fairly aggressive in terms of wanting to improve our statistics at the middle and upper management levels. Thank you.
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 214
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 214
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the Minister for that. I would like to ask the Minister if it is possible for his department to give us quarterly updates on the statistics in the department, so we can see for ourselves that change is happening. We can track it through the Legislative Assembly or even as Members to see there have been efforts made and that we are seeing results and are able to follow that. Is that a possibility?
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 214
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 214
Joe Handley Weledeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, yes, we could provide that on a quarterly basis. We track it monthly. Thank you.
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 214
The Chair Paul Delorey
Thank you, Mr. Handley. Page 11-28, active positions, information item. Page 11-29, lease commitments information item. Page 11-30, fur marketing service revolving fund. Page 11-31, detail of work performed on behalf of others. Mr. Nitah.
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 214
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do not really want to address the revolving fund per se, but what I would like to ask the Minister is that with global warming, and take into consideration that global warming causes different temperatures, if he sees a need to review the trapping season. Having been a trapper once upon a time myself, I know the quality of fur varies from month to month. November is the start of the trapping season. The furs you get in the month of November are not as good as you get in the month of December, and so on.
Would it be more prudent to start the trapping season later and finish it a little later as well? I was going to ask the same question about forest fires, but we will stick to the trapping. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 7-14(3): Recommendation To Issue Timber Harvesting Permits Only With Consent Of Affected Parties (carried)
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 214
The Chair Paul Delorey
Thank you, Mr. Nitah. Mr. Nitah, could you clarify what page you are on? Are you on page 11-30? Thank you. Mr. Handley.