This is page numbers 157 - 194 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 chairman.

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Further Return To Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On Nwt Housing
Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 169

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 Minister Antoine, also known as the Deputy Premier. It deals with my Member's statement earlier today. Mr. Speaker, there are approximately 3,830 jobs in the Northwest Territories government. Of those, 203 are in Fort Simpson; 325 in Fort Smith; 296 in Hay River; 336 in Inuvik; 1,978 in Yellowknife. If you do the calculations, the other 28 communities share 658 positions. These are current to December 31, 2002 statistics, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it took a constitutional challenge to get representation here. Do we need a constitutional challenge to get GNWT employment representation across the board in the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The Deputy Premier, Mr. Antoine.

Return To Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The honourable Member is asking me a question of whether or not there is going to be a legal challenge. I don't know. That's up to people in the communities. I think the example the honourable Member used is with regard to the boundaries commission in Yellowknife. It was the citizens who put this action forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Supplementary To Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that was an example. I don't think we need a constitutional issue to put government employees in every community. It takes political will, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the government is currently developing a transition document for the next government to consider. Would the Minister commit that a framework be developed to see some of these positions be devolved to the communities so they can deliver programs and services on behalf of the GNWT, whether it's under the community services board or direct employment for the GNWT in his departments? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The Deputy Premier, Mr. Antoine.

171

Further Return To Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important question, important initiative, that the honourable Member is pursuing in terms of this government, whether we are decentralized enough. Perhaps we should look at ways on how the government in the future should be working to decentralize to the communities. This kind of work requires a lot of allowances, a lot of review. Currently, the life of this government is very short. There are a number of initiatives that this government is pursuing. One of them is the corporate review and transition planning project that is going on. There is also a headquarters review going on. Perhaps those types of reviews would be a place where this specific type of question could be directed, so the people who are doing the review for this would also incorporate what the honourable Member is pursuing. To try to fit it into the life of this government, I think that might be an opportune place where this initiative should be asked. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 170

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Supplementary To Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 170

Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with 658 positions in 28 communities, the major of which are seasonal, be they firefighters or teachers, Mr. Speaker, to me those numbers don't indicate an appropriate level of devolution in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, I agree with the Minister that we should put this in a discussion for further analysis. That's why I am looking for a commitment from the Minister that a framework be developed for consideration. I would like to ask the Minister what is the level of government programs and services we try to deliver in the communities, a lot of them are with social services, income support, welfare. I think we can eliminate those numbers if we put more positions in those communities. We all say that self-government is going to happen. Let's be proactive. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister once again for some kind of firm commitment to demonstrate the political will of this House so the people working for us who are preparing the document have a clear understanding that there is political will here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 170

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. Mr. Deputy Premier, Mr. Antoine.

Further Return To Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker, the only commitment I can make to the honourable Member is that for this department and headquarters review that is taking place, the firm of Deloitte and Touche has been selected to do work for us. Perhaps we could give them the direction to also look at this scenario that the honourable Member is pursuing. I think it's a very legitimate area where we can do the work. I understand that during the review process, the team will be looking at information and materials from other reviews. They will also look at best practices of other jurisdictions and they would like to interview the MLAs and senior management team. Again, in the life of this government, to do a specific direction to ask for more positions to go to the smaller communities, we need to have a coordinated plan. Perhaps the review might be a good way to pursue this initiative. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Question 53-14(6): Decentralization Of Government Positions
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 170

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions will be for the Minister of Finance and they are coming on the heels of the federal budget and the media reporting of the federal budget.

The Minister is in the local media talking about our dire situation, mounting debt and the deficits we are running and his disappointment in the federal budget in what he sees as essentially shortchanging the North. However, our Member of Parliament doesn't seem to see it the same way, Mr. Speaker. I am wondering if the strategic investments that we have been trying to make -- and let's be honest, these are the cause of our deficit budget -- if those have been effectively communicated to the Member of Parliament and if it was the Minister's impression that the Member of Parliament was onside with this approach. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Return To Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 170

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, I believe our Member of Parliament is very well briefed on all the major initiatives that we have undertaken whether it's strategic infrastructure or health concern issues or housing and so on. She knows our situation. She has certainly expressed support for it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 170

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Supplementary To Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 170

Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, I don't know exactly what the Member of Parliament said, but the media certainly is suggesting that she's talked about the federal surplus and insisted that it wasn't the federal government that suggested that we should be running deficits. I'm wondering if she's ever expressed concern about the deficits to the Minister of Finance in the past. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 170

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Further Return To Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 170

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, I've certainly had discussions with the Member of Parliament about our impending deficit. I have not spoken to her since we have tabled our budget here, but I won't get into the detail of those discussions. But she understands very well that we are being driven into a deficit. Again I won't guess at the media's accuracy in quoting her and so on. But, in my view, she's trying to put a good spin on the budget, and there are some good things in there for all Canadians. But I'll tell you, it's very difficult to get excited about some of them. If I take as one example, Mr. Speaker, housing. There's $80 million for affordable rental housing for Canada over the next two years; $40 million each year for two years. If we were take that on a per capita basis, 0.13 percent, our share of that money, Mr. Speaker, would be $52,000 per year. That doesn't even build a porch on a house, in most cases. That kind of support is really, really minimal. It doesn't help us very much. If they gave us one percent, as they did with the strategic infrastructure program, that would give us $400,000. At least we could build a house and a half in the North. But that kind of expenditure or commitment by the federal government really doesn't help us that much. As I go through the budget and try to work this out, I just can't get excited about the little bits of money that are coming our way.

I will help the Member of Parliament in every way I can to try to get away from this per capita thing and give us something that's based on our needs. Every single way I can I'll work with her to do that, because I think that's what we have to do in the North, not fight with each other about who created the deficit.

But I'll tell you, Mr. Speaker, we cannot keep ourselves out of deficit if we're going to respond to the economic opportunities we have, and we certainly can't expect 42,000 or 43,000 people in the North to pay for all of this investment we have to make. It's impossible. The federal government takes the revenue, they have to put money back in here. Thank you.

---Applause

Further Return To Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 171

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Supplementary To Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 171

Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

Thank you. I certainly agree with the Minister. I think the commitments being made are really hollow, and I think the Minister has clearly articulated that. I'm wondering though, considering the meeting of the northern Premiers with the Prime Minister on Thursday, if it's helpful to have the MP and our Finance Minister out there. It seems to be an inconsistent message. Was there not some discussion about taking a consistent message to Ottawa, so that we're not seen to be disputing the cause of the deficit? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 171

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Further Return To Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 171

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, we always want to be consistent in our approach to Ottawa, both us as a government with the business coalition, with our Member of Parliament, and in fact with the other territories. We want to make sure that we know what each other are saying.

Mr. Speaker, I was hoping that we were, and I believe that we are, consistent in the approach we're taking with health. I've not been involved directly in the negotiation with the federal government on the health issues. I know our Premier has a meeting with the Prime Minister tomorrow, and I don't want to get into what the MP may be saying or what the strategy will be tomorrow. I will continue to speak with the Premier on it, but I'd sooner not preempt whatever is happening tomorrow. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Question 54-14(6): Member Of Parliament's Comments In Response To The Federal Budget
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 171

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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