This is page numbers 277 - 299 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 chairman.

Topics

Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 284

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Steen.

Return To Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 284

Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had opportunity to discuss this issue with the department after the Member's questions in the House. It is clear that some communities chose to switch priorities, whereby MACA has a funding program, capital program for some type of facilities and not for the other, so the community did switch priorities and used the funding for a swimming pool rather than for an arena.

We do not have, at the present, a capital planning process whereby we would fund swimming pools. Swimming pools were cut off in the days of the cutbacks, as I said, and it was never really re-established into the capital plan. As we all know, the new corporate capital planning process puts recreation facilities quite a ways down the scale in the line of priorities. Swimming pools are not even mentioned at this stage.

What the department did do with Fort Providence is that there was $50,000 that had not been spent at this point, which was originally for the arena, I believe. The community had not spent it yet and it was held over from the year before. It is still earmarked for that particular facility, but the department did give the community the option of using it towards the swimming pool if they wished. I have not heard anything back from the community on this at all. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 284

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister is providing a lot of new information here. The $50,000 he is referring to is for the curling rink. If that is going to go towards the pool, is he going to give us more money to complete the curling rink?

If that is what he is saying, that is fine. However, I have to question the comments he made about switching priorities in terms of the funding that went to Fort Liard. They took the money that was earmarked for an arena and put it towards a pool when they already have an arena. Were they planning to build a second arena and then this got switched? I need some clarity on that. I am not sure what the Minister is saying.

Supplementary To Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 284

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Steen.

Further Return To Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 284

Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can understand the Member's predicament. Whether or not the department will be approached now with another request for another building, I put the same thing to the department, but we do not really have a program in place. What do we do when communities switch priorities?

I am at this point discussing this with the department as to whether we are going to continue with this process, because it just does not seem to be a process that allows for fairness.

I am also discussing with the department the option of multiplexes, which is possibly a solution to some of the problems that communities face in obtaining a complex that would serve all of their recreational needs. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 285

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 285

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Minister. There has to be some consistency here and it is unfortunate that the community of Fort Providence was not able to do what is being allowed now with the new policy, I believe, to switch funding from one recreational project to another, because that was the desire in the first place. The swimming pools are the most used facilities in the communities, as we know.

I would like to ask the Minister, given the high demand for swimming pools in the communities, if he would consider adding swimming pools in the department's capital plans for next year. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 285

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Steen.

Further Return To Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 285

Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will most certainly consider that. I think what the department and this government needs is some kind of a collective approach to this from the Ordinary Members and from the standing committees, giving us direction to work towards this. I have to take this to Cabinet. I have to have support for this somehow.

I need some kind of a collective agreement that all of the communities want this. As well, I will be seeking this kind of support from the NWTAM. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 285

The Speaker

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

Supplementary To Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is difficult to measure what kind of support the Minister is asking for, but I would like to ask him if he would consider placing this in front of Cabinet if he got a response from all of the communities in the North that are requesting swimming pools and would like to see swimming pools added to the capital planning for next year. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 285

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Steen.

Further Return To Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 285

Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that as a department, we can allow the communities to identify this in their five-year capital plan. It is just a matter of if it is one of the programs that we fund.

What I am speaking to is support from standing committees, including AOC, that this is one of the programs that should be supported. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Question 118-14(5): Request For Fort Providence Swimming Pool
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 285

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 285

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Justice. Yesterday in a Minister's statement entitled Human Resources Action Plan, the Minister proceeded to indicate the status of priority one candidates in the corrections services.

At the bottom of the first page, "This is an excellent indication that affirmative action is progressing very well within corrections services." I would like to ask the Minister, is this affirmative action human resource plan that he is talking about part of a bigger government-wide policy for affirmative action, or is this something just specific to his department? Thank you.

Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Justice, Mr. Allen.

Return To Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To confirm the answer, it is specific to the Department of Justice.

Return To Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 285

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, am I to understand then that each department of this government is coming up with its own Affirmative Action Policy? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 285

The Speaker

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Justice, Mr. Allen.

Further Return To Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, I do not believe it is. It is something I have really deliberated with in our own department to see where we could make improvements in the context of the Affirmative Action Policy. Thank you,

Further Return To Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 286

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 286

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Minister's statement, he also indicated that his department is creating opportunities for career advancement for priority one candidates who are already working in the corrections department.

I was wondering, since there are still some people who work for Justice and who work for corrections who are not priority 1 candidates, who may have been there for many years, for example, 15 years of service, are there going to be career development opportunities made available for those people as well, or will these opportunities be made available exclusively to P1 candidates? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Question 119-14(5): Human Resources Action Plan
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Justice, Mr. Allen.