Thank you, Mr. Nitah. Mr. Antoine.
Debates of June 29th, 2000
This is page numbers 295 - 364 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 communities.
Topics
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 351
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 351
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This legislation is the Property Assessment and Taxation Act, which has been in place by this Legislature for quite a number of years. In the Act, it lays out what we have to do. The idea here is to collect taxes and money for this government so we can run programs and services in the communities.
Usually, you have a community and there are people living there. People should contribute to run the programs and services in the community. They should contribute for clearing the snow from the road or picking up the garbage. It is like a user fee. Whenever you call it taxes, people kind of shy away from it. That is what it is in the tax-based municipalities. That is where the money goes, into the general coffers of the municipality and they use it for whatever they want to do with it.
In hamlets and smaller communities, according to this legislation, Municipal and Community Affairs looks at a property and says this is how much we think it is worth. We do it every ten years. According to the Act, they do not have to consult. They just assess it every ten years.
In this case, the assessment has jumped so high, the Minister of Finance will have to look at it and say okay, this is the rate we should set, and try to collect that through the government. In the tax-based municipalities, the people who live there and were property owners, the council sets the rate and collects the money.
Perhaps in the non-tax-based municipalities, that might be one way of looking at it. It is like a user fee, paying your share in the community. Your community will run a lot better and provide better programs and services. That is one way of looking at it. That is my understanding of what taxes are. Thank you.
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 352
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 352
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That is an interesting perspective. That is one way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is if you take it and go back to the days when the aboriginal people of the Northwest Territories were living out in the land following the caribou, doing their thing, and the federal government comes in and brings them to the communities and says we want to educate you, come on in, sets up this government, and this government sets and develops policies and acts, and now they are enforcing the acts. Bring them in. After a while, you get them comfortable, and we will tax them now. That is the way I look at it and that is the way my people look at it. Mr. Antoine, I think you should consult the people. Thank you.
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 352
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 352
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to move a motion.
I MOVE that this committee recommends the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs direct the department to take the necessary steps to bring the Property Assessment and Taxation Act in line with land claim agreements that deal with real property taxes and how we are interpreting the land claim agreements in the Northwest Territories.
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 352
The Chair Paul Delorey
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. We will have to get a copy of that motion, so we will take a short break while we make copies.
-- Break
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 352
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
I MOVE that this committee recommend that the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs bring forward amendments to the Property Assessment and Taxation Act to ensure the Act complies with land claim agreements that contain provisions dealing with the real property tax. Thank you.
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Paul Delorey
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The motion is in order. It is being circulated to all the Members. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. We are on Page 4-25. Land administration, operation expense, total operations expense, $2,326,000. Mr. Krutko.
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 352
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 352
The Chair Paul Delorey
The motion is in order. It is not debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is defeated. Page 4-25. Land administration, operation expense, total operations expense, $2,326,000.
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Paul Delorey
Thank you. Page 4-29. Community development, operations expense, total operations expense, $1,249,000. Mr. Krutko.
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One of the concerns I have, especially amongst the aboriginal communities when it comes to sports and recreation is there has to be more done. We now have two sporting organizations; one with all the money and the other with all the people. Is anything going to be done by the government to ensure that the Aboriginal Sporting Circle and Sport North, which has much of the funding from lottery licenses, is going to be fairly distributed? Will there be a mechanism in place to ensure that the Aboriginal Sporting Circle plays a more active role in recreation development for aboriginal communities? That we do see an increase in recreational activities for the smaller communities? We do not have the ability to have large regional games. We do not have the needed facilities. Many of our children do not have the ability to make it to these large events.
We have to realize that recreation is a means of building self-esteem in our aboriginal communities, especially for the young people. We see that in many of our young athletes, especially in hockey. We have seen a lot of outstanding aboriginal people in the sporting circles from the Firth twins to different hockey players.
We have to do more to build the recreation programs in our small communities where we have high illiteracy rates, where we have a lot of unemployment and we have a lot of problems in our communities. One way we can deal with that is through recreation and building the self-esteem of a lot of our young people in our communities, especially the aboriginal children, and make them realize you can strive for what you want to be, and have an opportunity to partake and participate in those areas.
I would like to ask the Minister, is there anything in this budget that will ensure the Aboriginal Sport Circle plays a more active role in recreation, along with the Sport North Federation?
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 352
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 352
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sport North, which is funded by the 649 Lotto here in the Northwest Territories, is supporting the Aboriginal Sport Circle, so whatever type of financial support they receive is not reflected in our budget. It is coming from Sport North. We did provide some assistance earlier on in with the Sport Circle to help them get set up last year, but there is nothing in this budget here to help them. Thank you.
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 352
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 352
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Do we have people within the department who can work along with or within associations? Usually, for any organization or institution you set up, it is basically the start up costs that usually get you. You have unforeseen costs. To get an organization off the ground takes a lot of momentum and you have to have people in place to ensure you are able to expand, especially with the Aboriginal Sport Circle.
They deal in the areas where Sport North does not usually deal with, which is the small aboriginal communities. The cost of getting in and out and trying to run a program of that size takes a lot of organizational work, ensuring you have the money and the resources to assist these children to get the different events, hockey, soccer, or whatever.
We have to do more to promote and assist this organization. I would like to know, is there anything in the budget, or any positions within the budget that will be working along with these organizations in the future? Where in the budget is that allocated?
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 353
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 353
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Aboriginal Sport Circle is a fairly new organization. I think it was just set up last year. At the initial organization, the department did provide them with some funding to get set up. Presently, Sport North is providing them with assistance, office space and some operation money, travel.
In the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs in community development, we have program advisor positions, sports recreations, who are assigned to work with the Aboriginal Sport Circle.
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 353
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 353
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I notice under grants and contributions, it says sports and recreation contributions, $75,000. What is that? Is that money accessible to this organization?
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 353
Committee Motion 13-14(3): Amendments To The Property Assessment And Taxation Act (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 353
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am told that this funding is a contribution, $50,000 is going to the NWT Parks and Recreation Association. The $25,000 will be for community application for recreation plans. That is for different communities that may have an application for some sort of a plan. It is there for them. Thank you.