Mr. Lafferty.
Debates of March 11th, 2003
This is page numbers 645 - 700 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.
Topics
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 668
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 668
Leon Lafferty North Slave
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question was, because of the three communities privatizing in the past, has there been an increase in the fuel costs in the other communities?
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 668
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 668
Vince Steen Nunakput
Mr. Chairman, only if we were to have all the communities involved in writing off this $4.5 million. What we're asking is that the $4.5 million be written off so that we start clean. Otherwise the number of communities that are left will be seen as taking on some of the cost of supplying petroleum products in the other communities that were in fact privatized. Thank you.
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 668
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 668
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to continue the line of questioning that I had going with the rapport I had going with the Minister and his staff. Mr. Chairman, the Minister has indicated a political position taken by this government that there's not going to be any more privatization unless an organization, or a community organization or an entrepreneur in a community starts a business alongside with what the government is providing so far. I'd like to ask the Minister if that happens -- and we know it happened in other communities -- would the government and the Minister consider the current subsidization of the delivery of those fuel products to any of the communities mentioned by Mr. Aumond, so that there is some kind of competitiveness from the entrepreneurs and the government does not have all the advantages at the beginning of any kind of competition there? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 668
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 668
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 668
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 668
Rattray
Mr. Chairman, we could raise that point with the Financial Management Board but, to date, no, we haven't considered providing a subsidy to communities that have a private sector company delivering the service.
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 668
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 668
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, so I'm assuming that... Let's take Lutselk'e for an example. For a long time individuals and organizations within the community wanted to take on the responsibility of a private venture. If these organizations decide to go after this product for service delivery in a private business, the government then realizes all of a sudden we'll get out of this competition, you guys don't need any more subsidies. Is it only if we operate that you need a subsidy? Is that what the government is saying? That only when the GNWT is operating are subsidies required and, if it's a private organization, there are no subsidies required? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 668
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 669
Vince Steen Nunakput
Mr. Chairman, the member's concern and suggestion is in fact being considered in the broader sense of the government's overall consideration of subsidization of different types of activities. For instance, there is a suggestion that at one point we could charge every community what it costs us to deliver the product. Then those people who need assistance would go either to Health and Social Services or Wildlife or whoever to obtain a subsidy from them, rather than us doing it this way. However, it has not gone any further than just the discussion stage at this time. If there is someone willing to set up and there is a subsidy involved, there's no doubt that the person would have to charge the delivered landed cost to break even, never mind make a profit. No doubt, it's going to be very expensive for the communities then. There would then be some form of request to the government that we subsidize.
One of the reasons we were considering something like this is because, in some communities, we started realizing that some of the industrial activities that were taking place in the range of the communities, we were in fact subsidizing them by allowing them to buy gas at our prices rather than bring it in themselves. So we did take that into consideration. But it hasn't gone anywhere right now. Thank you.
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 669
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 669
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'm not too worried about those discussions. They happen all the time within government. It sounds like a piecemeal and administrative nightmare to me, just in what the Minister is talking about. But currently, is it a practice of government that if they are in business in any community and there's another private entrepreneur that wants to start a business, that they'll get out and they'll take their subsidies with them. Is that what the Minister is saying?
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 669
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 669
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 669
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 10th, 2003
Page 669
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, if that's correct, then this government is discouraging entrepreneurship by using the fact that it does cost more to deliver certain services in certain geographical locations, and only if government is the one that's delivering that service will this government subsidize or recognize the need for subsidies in this area. What I'm trying to suggest is an opportunity for the government to get out of the delivery of this program and service by recognizing that there are people in these communities that could do the job just as well as they can, and that they should get the same kind of treatment that government gets when government delivers these products and services in the community.
All I'm saying is we have an opportunity here to save nearly $1 million in salaries alone in this division. With 11 people averaging $100,000 a salary, with benefits and all, factoring in the costs for renting office space, etcetera, etcetera, there are some savings that could be had here. Capacity could be developed in communities, only if government in this area wants to get out of business, and recognizes that there is a subsidy requirement. Who knows? Once you agree on a subsidy per year and the cost goes up, the individuals in these communities could raise their prices and they'd take the political heat, not the government. There's a possibility of that happening. If the fuel price goes down, they could drop the prices and get the benefits rather than government. I'm just suggesting a different way of delivering this program, a suggestion that might save this government a lot of money and a lot of headaches, and develop capacity in communities. That's just a suggestion, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 669
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Mr. Steen.
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 669
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I look at this as a whole new approach. You know, the department is open for a proposal of this nature and we would take it to FMBS for consideration. We can't make the decisions on our own; however, we could make recommendations as to whether there are benefits involved. This is the new approach to the whole subsidization program involved with petroleum products. So I'm prepared, if somebody can come forward with a proposal like that, to move it up. Thank you.
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 669
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you. Mr. Krutko.
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, my question also concerns the petroleum products division. Right now the last community that was privatized was Tuktoyaktuk. Now I've seen some correspondence indicating that they want to buy some of the assets, such as the tank farm that's in Tuktoyaktuk. I'd like to ask the Minister what is the selling price of that asset? Have we done an audit to see exactly what the cost of that asset is, or are we looking at the area of liabilities? Is there also a liability that's associated with selling off a tank farm, and what's the book value of that asset?
Committee Motion 10-14(6) To Extend The Three-year Replacement Cycle For Desktop Computers, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 669
The Chair Leon Lafferty
Thank you. Minister Steen.