Mahsi Cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Special Committee on Non-Tax-Based Communities was set up to include the relationship, mostly the financial relationship between this government and the communities. I'm not talking about that, Mr. Speaker; I'm talking about government employment in our communities. Move some of the government employment from top to bottom. That's what I'm talking about. You know, it's not fair for taxpayers that we don't employ people from our communities. It's not fair to the taxpayers that we keep people on social services in our communities. All I'm asking the Minister to do is see what kind of positions from this government we could put in communities across the Northwest Territories so that we can create an economic base in our communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Debates of March 13th, 2003
This is page numbers 747 - 780 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
Supplementary To Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 756
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Supplementary To Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 756
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister Responsible for FMB, Mr. Handley.
Further Return To Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
Joe Handley Weledeh
Mr. Speaker, the Member has asked me to provide him with a list of salaries by community that has been provided today. I don't know if he's seen it yet but it has been provided, and that outlines the amount that we are putting in salaries into each community. We have our deputy Ministers committee that is looking at the structure and organization of our government. Hopefully that will give us some assistance as well. Mr. Speaker, when we look at the terms of these special committees and so on, I interpret those terms as broader than just the financial arrangement. I'd like to look at how we distribute the wealth in the Northwest Territories more equitably as something we as a government and also the special committee would work together on. I'm certainly willing to work with the Member. I will bring forward what I can in terms of my thoughts on how we do that and how we can get jobs into the communities. I think we all have to work together on it, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
Supplementary To Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm glad the Minister is willing to work with communities and Members on this issue. I think it is very important to all of us that we start putting government positions into communities. We need an economic base in those communities. I would like to stand up and argue, like Mr. Dent, on contracts that have gone south because they're not giving my constituents an opportunity. I'd love to have that argument in this House but I don't because there are hardly any businesses in my communities that take advantage of that. I'd like to ask the Minister... I don't want the Minister's personal opinions, I want the governments' position on this. Would he report the government's position in June? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
Further Return To Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
Joe Handley Weledeh
Mr. Speaker, certainly I would take that back to Cabinet. I'm not the government; I can't make a commitment on behalf of government. I have to talk to all of my colleagues on Cabinet to make any kind of commitment to table anything in June but I will review the Hansard and try to pick out exactly what the Member is asking, and refine it so we can agree on it and I'll take it to my colleagues on Cabinet. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
Supplementary To Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I'm talking about is, instead of sending an income support worker from Fort Smith into my communities or any regional centers into communities in the Northwest Territories, send somebody that is going to create a job so that people in our communities have the option of applying for a government job instead of income support. That's what I'm talking about, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister Responsible for FMB, Mr. Handley.
Further Return To Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
Joe Handley Weledeh
Mr. Speaker, if the Member wants this, instead of sending income support workers to the community, send someone to do job applications, we will do that. I don't think that's what he means and I think it's more than that. I want to speak with the Member more to understand what it is we want. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Further Return To Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Question 231-14(6): Decentralization Of GNWT Programs And Positions
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.
Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
Bill Braden Great Slave
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a couple of weeks ago, the Minister for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development announced that a long-standing dispute had been settled with Sirius Diamonds Limited regarding the use of the polar bear logo. I would like to ask the Minister of Finance if he could advise me of some of the background to this deal. The business arrangement that was announced says that Sirius is going to be the only diamond manufacturer to hold a licence for a four-legged polar bear design for ten years. Could the Minister advise, Mr. Speaker, what was the business basis of this exclusive arrangement? Thank you.
Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
Return To Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
Joe Handley Weledeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not familiar with the details. I wasn't involved in the negotiation of the final settlement or exactly what the details were for the arrangement to give Sirius the exclusive right to use the polar bear. I believe the Minister of RWED can provide the information to the Member. Thank you.
Return To Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
Supplementary To Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
Bill Braden Great Slave
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to repeat the question. The Minister has referred it to the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. I would like to inquire what was the business basis for the arrangement whereby Sirius Diamonds obtained a ten-year exclusive deal for the polar bear symbol on its diamonds. Thank you.
Supplementary To Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 757
Further Return To Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 758
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think most of the Members of the House know we were involved in a dispute over the polar bear trademark with Sirius Diamonds for a number of years and I wanted to say that we have negotiated an arrangement with Sirius. Some Members of the House here were very concerned about it two months ago and through negotiations, we are able to come to an agreement that's mutual to ourselves as the Government of the Northwest Territories and to Sirius Diamonds. The part of the agreement is that we are able to, as a government, say that Sirius Diamonds have developed their own logo, which is a polar bear which has four legs. Our official trademark is a polar bear that has three legs. It's facing west and theirs is facing east, or whatever. So part of the agreement is they be allowed to use their polar bear trademark, even though it's similar to ours. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Further Return To Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 758
Supplementary To Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 758
Bill Braden Great Slave
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the issues here concerns the use of the bear and some 30-plus years of investment that the GNWT has made. It is a world-recognized symbol of the Arctic. It is the ability, then, of Sirius to use their four-legged bear on their diamonds. It is their mark. The question I have, Mr. Speaker, is can other manufacturers also use polar bears or are we granting an exclusive umbrella agreement for a polar bear to Sirius? Thank you.
Supplementary To Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 758
Further Return To Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 758
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the three-legged polar bear is our trademark and it will continue to be our trademark and it's always been our trademark. Part of the problem there was the way the trademark was registered. Although it's been our trademark for so many years, we just assumed everybody knew it. However, the legal aspect of it was overlooked in some ways, but we were able to resolve that. The details of it have been worked out. The only concession we managed to get to resolve this whole issue was that Sirius will have the exclusive use of their four-legged polar bear on the girdle of their diamond. Any other company that is manufacturing diamonds in the NWT could use a polar bear in their advertisements and displays.
Further Return To Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 758
Supplementary To Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Question 232-14(6): Polar Bear Diamond Logo Dispute Settlement
Item 7: Oral Questions
Page 758
Bill Braden Great Slave
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to make my question as specific as I can. Can other manufacturers also use a polar bear on their diamonds?