This is page numbers 157 - 202 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 5th 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

Further Return To Question 78-14(5): Community Access To Programs And Services
Question 78-14(5): Community Access To Programs And Services
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 171

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the issue of day cares, there was a perceived need raised by Members of the Legislative Assembly about increasing the available amount of funds for day cares across the Northwest Territories. This is what the budget attempts to do.

What has never been available is capital dollars for day care facilities. What the programs have done over the years is make day care operational funding and maintenance funding available to all communities. Generally, those communities that were interested and could free up housing units or office space, whatever space was necessary and available, were able to capitalize and they also could raise some of that money and find the necessary staff and meet the criteria required for the safe operation of day cares.

I am aware that some of the communities simply do not have units available that could be converted under existing guidelines to be used as day care facilities. We are prepared to consider specific proposals that might address those situations. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 78-14(5): Community Access To Programs And Services
Question 78-14(5): Community Access To Programs And Services
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 172

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

February 25th, 2002

Page 172

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for the liquor revolving fund, Mr. Handley. Mr. Speaker. we have heard a lot of concerns, comments and initiatives taken with this government with liquor outlets and how liquor sales have been conducted.

Mr. Speaker, I have a concern that back in 1994, there was a liquor law review done. Basically, they did a public consultation. They traveled around the North in 26 communities where they had public hearings.

There has never been anything done to implement the recommendations or changes of this review and the action paper that was presented back then. Before any action is taken on these piecemeal changes to the Liquor Review Board, would he consider a thorough review and have the department look at the recommendations made through this report and present the findings back to this House?

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 172

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the Member that there is a need to do an overall review of our liquor legislation and regulations. To do that is time consuming and probably several years of work.

In the meantime though, if incidences do come up, then we may have to bring forward some changes to specific sections in the act on an interim basis until we are able to do the complete review. Thank you.

Return To Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 172

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 172

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I hope the Minister is not stating that we are going to be influenced by special interest groups to make amendments in their case without having a full review.

I think the importance of having a full review is to ensure that we have full consultation and that we do not just pick and choose what amendments we like or what amendments we want to put in place. I would like to ask the Minister, would you seriously consider that before any minor amendments are made, you consider the possibility of a thorough review so that everyone has input, from the communities to the regions to the larger centres?

Supplementary To Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 172

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 172

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, if the Member is referring to the special occasion permits and this one kind of incident, then that is clearly within the authority of the board itself. There should be no need for any legislative change there at all. It is just a matter of the board interpreting together a policy and possibly reinterpreting the policy that they have in place now. There is no question. We will not make any changes to the liquor legislation until we have had the review, with the exception of some things that we run into.

For example, several months ago, an inconsistency was brought to our attention between the lotteries legislation and the Liquor Act. We have to resolve that kind of problem. I hope the Member and others will bear with us as we make these one-time changes before we can finish an overall review. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 172

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 172

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the communities I represent have had concerns with regard to the Liquor Act, especially when it comes to plebiscites that take place in our different communities. The way the percentages are allocated, it makes it awfully hard for communities to really have their voice heard and ensure they have enough people turning out so that the plebiscites go forth.

Again, I would like to advise the Minister that if you are going to make any amendments, no matter how small they are, you ensure that all communities up and down the Territory have input with respect to also allowing them the ability to amend the act. Will the Minister ensure that there is a process that is fair to everyone in the Northwest Territories?

Supplementary To Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 172

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 172

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, I will ensure that the processes that we use are fair to everyone throughout the Territories. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 172

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 172

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister whether his department has done a run-over of the previous legislative recommendations to change the NWT Liquor Act. I would like to ask the Minister exactly what action is being taken by his department to ensure that we do have a review at some point on the Liquor Act, knowing it is probably one of the biggest areas of concern and problems that we have in the Northwest Territories, which is associated with alcohol? I would like to ask the Minister what he and his department are doing to ensure that we take the right steps to ensure that we follow up on previous attempts to change the act?

Supplementary To Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 173

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 173

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, the department and I personally have taken a look at the review that was done in the early 1990s. There are some good recommendations in there. That report, though, is quite dated and it was my department's recommendation, and I concur with them, that rather than trying to implement a report that was done eight years ago, we are better off to do a whole new review. I certainly look forward to discussing this further with Members. Apart from time constraints, I am very interested in doing a review as Mr. Krutko is suggesting. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Question 79-14(5): Comprehensive Liquor Review
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 173

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Maybe the Minister could give us a comparison between non-insured health benefits and the Metis health benefits. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 173

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Metis health benefits are based on the chart of benefits that is used for NIHB. They use the same and they rate the determination based on that chart and 80 percent as opposed to 100 percent. Thank you.

Return To Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 173

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Supplementary To Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 173

Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that the Metis health benefits is a Blue Cross program administered by this government and the non-insured health benefits is a federal program based on treaties. The Minister is making Metis health benefits available through contract to be administered by Metis groups across the Territories, whereas this government just moved the non-insured health benefits from one area of responsibility in the Health Department to another area as work done for other parties. Would the Minister consider discussing the non-insured health benefits with Ottawa to see if that responsibility could be transferred to First Nations who can mange it according to their agreement with Ottawa? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 173

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Question 80-14(5): Health Benefits Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 173

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is a very complex question. I would have to make sure I discuss it with my Cabinet colleagues and the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs to see what the implications are with ongoing negotiations. I will definitely raise that issue, but I want to reassure the Member that the Metis health benefits are based only on the benefits schedule that is used for NIHB and that is the only thing. The Blue Cross is strictly a payment function. It is not on a contract basis. Thank you.