Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. I would just like to cover an area that not only impacts my community but I would say all small aboriginal communities in the Northwest Territories. It concerns health. We attribute a lot of the health problems in the territories to smoking, cancer and what not. I am wondering if the department has ever done a study on dust effects on human lungs, and if that affects the health of the individual. A lot of our communities in the Northwest Territories are not paved. It gets very dusty and people breathe that in all the time. I am just wondering if the department has ever done a study on that in conjunction with the Department of Health, or something. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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 341
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chair, we do not know if there were any studies done regarding dust. I understand that what the honourable Member is saying is that in some communities that do not have paved roads, they put calcium chloride on the road and other chemicals. I know that has happened in the past in Fort Simpson. I do not know what kind of effect that will have on people. We are going to have to take it up with the Department of Health and Social Services to see if any studies have been done. As far as we know, we are not aware of any studies to determine that. Thank you.
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 341
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It may or may not have an effect on health, but it sure does have an effect on the people in the community, at a comfort level, at a visual level, everything. It affects everybody in different ways. I think it might have something to do with retention problems with our professionals that we bring in as well. I am just wondering if the department could take a serious look at doing something about the infrastructure in the community, roads and other areas, roads especially. It is just not comfortable, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Paul Delorey
Thank you, Mr. Nitah. This might be better addressed under regional operations, 4-32, but I will allow the Minister to make comments if he wants.
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you. The honourable Member is asking if the department would take a look at it. Yes, we will take a look at it. Perhaps we will ask the department to ask other departments in this area. They may have done this type of work in the communities on dust control. Thank you.
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Paul Delorey
Thank you, Mr. Antoine. We are on community financial service, page 4-15. Mr. Braden.
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Bill Braden Great Slave
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To an item on that page, the Senior Citizen and Disabled Property Tax. My question regards the sustainability of this type of forgiveness that is included in here. I note, too, that it is a matching kind of financing for municipal taxation authorities. What I am looking at is that if it is matching, then the total impact of this forgiveness is about $400,000. If you apply a little bit of math, a little bit of demographics, I see this in the space of three or four years growing to about $1 million combined impact on municipal and territorial tax systems. My question is sustainability. Is the department factoring in such things as demographics and the rate of growth on this kind of thing? I think there is also an impact of demographics on sport and recreation and how those facilities are designed with the long term in place. To what extent are you looking at the long term in the sustainability of this kind of thing? Thank you.
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 341
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Murray
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Specifically within the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, we have not done any major studies on this at this point in time. The funding and its growth has not been all that dramatic in the last few years, but the point is well taken that as the population ages, it could very well grow. I certainly can take a look at the population projections and get a handle on what kinds of growth rates would be coming in this kind of a program. We can do that in time for the next business plan.
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 341
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Bill Braden Great Slave
Thank you, that is a very adequate answer. As my colleagues have pointed out, if my mother ever got wind that I thought that we should tax seniors more, well, I would not be her next-to-favourite son anymore.
-- Interjection
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 341
Some Hon. Members
Or her son!
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 341
Bill Braden Great Slave
Or her son, yeah, disowned!
-- Laughter
To Mr. Murray's answer, there is fairly dramatic evidence just from last year's main to this year's main. It is an increase of a third. That kind of thing, with what we know going on in society, it is going to ramp up pretty quickly. I think my point has been well taken. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 342
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 342
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Paul Delorey
The motion is in order. The motion is not debatable. To the motion. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is defeated. We are on page 4-15, community financial services, grants and contributions, grants, $210,000. Mr. Krutko.
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Yes, on the Senior Citizens and the Disabled Property Tax, one of the concerns that we always hear from our seniors is that they have to reapply every year. Why could we not have a system in place where we know who these seniors are? The community councils have an idea of who these seniors are with their own property that live in these residences, but every year they go through having to fill out these applications for their tax exemptions and go to the hamlet office. Has the department found a way to streamline this so that they do not have to do it every year, so it is easier on the seniors? Why do you not allow it to happen every five years, and then do the assessment? This has come up before. Every year you are facing the same problem. The small communities do not really understand what this bill is in the mail. As soon as they see taxes, they think the government is going to the community after them. I am just wondering if you have considered streamlining that and making it a lot easier for the elders.
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 342
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 342
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chair, I think it is a very good idea and we will take a look at it.
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 342
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 342
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Did I hear him say that he was going to do it next week? When will he do this?
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 342
Recommendation 1
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 342
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We will do it as soon as possible. It might not be next week. It should not be that big of a chore now to take a look at it. We have to work with our staff in the regions and the Department of Finance. We are working with a lot of other groups, so we need some time to look at it seriously. Thank you.