This is page numbers 1105 - 1142 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 6th 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 justice.

Topics

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 1114

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's not very often I get to recognize somebody from the community of Inuvik so, Mr. McLeod and Mr. MacDonald, welcome to this Assembly.

---Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to say welcome to everyone who has come here this afternoon. It's good to see you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Finance, regarding the issue of taxation for First Nations people. I wanted to ask the Minister if he could tell us if any personal or property taxes or fees levied against the First Nations people are being used for education. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, it's my understanding that there are, in some cases, situations where parents are asked to pay fees in the schools for extra things that are needed in the system, but all parents are being asked to make those payments. I also understand that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is reviewing their policy on that. In addition, all property owners in the Northwest Territories are billed for an education tax. This is a tax of general application and goes into the general revenue; it doesn't go directly into education or into a specific service. Thank you.

Return To Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, this year I had a number of constituents bring the property tax invoices in and it clearly states on the invoice that education taxes are being applied to aboriginal people, regardless of if you have children in school or not. I'd like to ask the Minister if he's aware that this is happening, and if he could tell us what portion of that is being applied to the schools. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, yes, people who are paying taxes on their property will also be paying a portion that is for education. As I mentioned before, this is a tax of general application. The money we collect from education taxes goes into general revenue, and then we pay for the costs of education out of the consolidated revenue fund. The amount that we collect in total, Mr. Speaker, from education taxes right across the Territories is about $3.5 million. In total, this government spends roughly $200 million on education. So some of that money is for education but, as I say, it goes into the general revenue fund and then is voted by this House. It doesn't go directly to education as such. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Supplementary To Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Mr. Speaker, it's not clear. My understanding is that this government receives transfer payments from the federal government to honour the treaty agreements the federal government has, and those transfer payments are clearly identified as money for education. Then, at the same time, we have invoices that are going out to the communities and to aboriginal people, treaty people, that state they have to pay a school tax. So in a sense this government is double dipping. We're getting money from one source -- the federal government -- and we're also applying a tax to people who have an agreement, who have a treaty with the federal government. I believe it's a contravention of the treaty. I would like to ask the Minister to explain how that works, because we have two sources coming in. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, the only money that we get that is specifically for aboriginal people and a treaty right is for aboriginal health care. That is the only money that is linked directly to a treaty right. All of the other money that we get in the Northwest Territories through our formula is for all residents, it's not broken down to so much for treaty people and so much for other people. We get an amount of money based on our population and other factors, but it's for everyone. So there's only the one program that I can think of off hand that is strictly for aboriginal people, and that's for aboriginal health. There's none for education as such. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, could I get the Minister to confirm then that this government receives no money for aboriginal education from the federal government? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, we, through the formula, get funding for all residents in the Northwest Territories, so we get money for everyone; treaty people, non-treaty people, everyone. But that money is not broken down and identified specifically for status and treaty people versus for everyone. So we do not get money for treaty people specifically. I think we do operate a university/college entrance program. There's some money that we manage for the federal government, but that's a program we do on their behalf, it's not money that comes through our general revenue. But other than that, there is none that I'm aware of. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Question 344-14(6): Taxation Of First Nations People
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services with regard to my Member's statement. Mr. Speaker, as we all know looking through the budget, this government increased the amount of money by $26 million for Health and Social Services to the tune of $226 million in 2003-2004. Yet, Mr. Speaker, we see a decline in programs and services that are essential to services such as health and social services, alcohol and drug programs and also policing. Mr. Speaker, we, again, have a situation in the Mackenzie Delta communities where communities are put on notice that only emergency services will be provided. When will this government learn that we have a problem and find a solution to that problem? Can the Minister tell us what is the government doing to find that solution?

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 345-14(6): Decline In Health And Social Services In Smaller Communities
Question 345-14(6): Decline In Health And Social Services In Smaller Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member has pointed out, it is a problem. There is a problem most acutely in some of the smaller communities, especially in the Inuvik region. Mr. Speaker, we've made arrangements, short-term arrangements with the UNW, so we can hire agency nurses. We have committed to a review of the classification of nurses to hopefully better compensate them once that classification review is done. That work is expected to be completed by Christmastime. So we put in millions of dollars trying to beef up salaries of alcohol and drug workers. We put in money for mental health workers and we intend to recruit those positions which are empty and work on arrangements in communities for those people who are currently in place to get them to take advantage of the new classification. Thank you.

Return To Question 345-14(6): Decline In Health And Social Services In Smaller Communities
Question 345-14(6): Decline In Health And Social Services In Smaller Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Supplementary To Question 345-14(6): Decline In Health And Social Services In Smaller Communities
Question 345-14(6): Decline In Health And Social Services In Smaller Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1115

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister touched on the point that I would like to make. We are seeing that programs and services are declining and the positions aren't being filled by this government. We have money allocated to communities sitting with health boards. What are you doing to ensure that those health boards don't sit on dollars that should be implemented for programs in communities? Why is it that dollars aren't making their way to those communities and having those positions filled to provide these essential services?

Supplementary To Question 345-14(6): Decline In Health And Social Services In Smaller Communities
Question 345-14(6): Decline In Health And Social Services In Smaller Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.