Mr. Nitah.
Debates of March 6th, 2002
This is page numbers 389 - 426 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 pension.
Topics
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, does the Government of the Northwest Territories and Municipal and Community Affairs receive money from the federal government for band residents who are on band land, who do not have to pay municipal taxes? The taxes are paid by the federal government in lieu. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, if I understand correctly, we do receive funds from the federal government in lieu of taxes on band lands, yes.
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In that sense, band members living in communities on band land are paying taxes, municipal taxes. Is that correct? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the feds are paying the taxes, not the individuals.
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What I am trying to establish here, Mr. Chairman, is that the municipal taxes are being paid. It is the federal government that is paying it, but it has been paid.
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
What I am trying to establish here, Mr. Chairman, is that municipal taxes are paid. Whether it is paid by the federal government or by an individual is not the concern here. The concern is that municipal taxes, on behalf of band members who are living on band land, are being paid by the federal government to this government. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Can the Minister tell me how much funding the territorial government receives from the federal government in this area, where the federal government is providing funds to the territorial government in lieu of taxes that have been paid by band members? How much?
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 422
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would have to obtain that information from the Department of Finance. I do not have that information. If the Member wishes, I can obtain that information from the Department of Finance and forward it to the Member.
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
The Chair David Krutko
Thank you, Mr. Minister. It would be great if you can get that information to the Member. Mr. Nitah.
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you. I would appreciate that information, Mr. Chairman. What I would like to know is what is that money currently being used for? How does that compare with funding community governments, specifically chief and council, and funding tax-based communities? Is there a comparison? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. All of this information I would have to obtain from the Department of Finance. However, whatever funding we do receive from the federal government in lieu of taxes goes into general revenue.
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the argument used by the department and those representatives of communities that are tax-based, saying that we do not pay taxes, is not true then. Taxes are being paid on our behalf as guaranteed in treaties, treaties signed a hundred years ago, in some instances. Yet still, the department uses that excuse to say "We do not collect taxes from you guys, so we are not going to fund you to pave your streets."
If we do have a block funding arrangement, like we do with the City of Yellowknife, we block fund them. They use revenues from taxes to do additional work that this government does not do, like paving the streets. Why can we not use those funds that we get from the federal government in lieu of taxes that are not paid for just that, to do the extraordinary work and not use that fund and put it in general revenues and use that to block fund municipalities and communities run by chief and council, but use it to address the real need of dust control, to create an environment for disabled people, and just improve the optical look of the community, so it does not look like a third world community? Hopefully, we will stop the exodus of people from those communities.
I would like to ask the Minister, would he look at using that funding that the Government of the Northwest Territories receives in lieu of taxes specifically for that purpose? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 9-14(5): To Include Swimming Pools As Projects Eligible For Maca Funding (carried)
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 423