Thank you, Minister Antoine. Your final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.
Debates of June 10th, 2003
This is page numbers 899 - 928 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 communities.
Topics
Further Return To Question 286-14(6): Twin Falls Gorge Campground Contract
Question 286-14(6): Twin Falls Gorge Campground Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 908
Supplementary To Question 286-14(6): Twin Falls Gorge Campground Contract
Question 286-14(6): Twin Falls Gorge Campground Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 908
Michael McLeod Deh Cho
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to point out to the Minister again that in the instance of a request for proposal, only 40 percent is based on price. So, if you are using five percent of 40 percent, the business incentive policy incentive is such a small percentage point it becomes meaningless. There has to be more in there. It has to be reviewed. I am hearing the Minister say that he will review it. There is more than one person that bid on this contract. I have three letters of people that submitted proposals. So, I would like to know when the Minister can send his officials in. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 286-14(6): Twin Falls Gorge Campground Contract
Question 286-14(6): Twin Falls Gorge Campground Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Minister Antoine.
Further Return To Question 286-14(6): Twin Falls Gorge Campground Contract
Question 286-14(6): Twin Falls Gorge Campground Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we will try to send the people in there as soon as possible. I will get back to the Member on that. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 286-14(6): Twin Falls Gorge Campground Contract
Question 286-14(6): Twin Falls Gorge Campground Contract
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Minister Antoine. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.
Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Item 6: Oral Questions
June 9th, 2003
Page 909
Charles Dent Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. It is about his statement this morning about how the people in tax-based communities are pleased to hear that there will be some money put towards water and sewer infrastructure this year. However, $2.5 million spread among the six communities is not going to go very far. He talked about Canada's strategic infrastructure fund for municipal governments. Can the Minister advise this House whether or not we are likely to see any of that money in this year's construction season?
Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Minister Steen.
Return To Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe I have had any information indicating that we could be receiving any of that money this year.
Return To Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
Supplementary To Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
Charles Dent Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So that means that, in effect, the tax-based municipalities are going to see a reduction of almost $2 million in what they have available to them for cost-shared sewer and water replacement this year. Is the Minister confident that we will be able to provide the municipalities with lots of warning as to what will be available by next year?
Supplementary To Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Minister Steen.
Further Return To Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
Vince Steen Nunakput
Mr. Speaker, I think my statement refers to funding that we had from last year that we would be using for this year. That is the reference to the funding. The money that is going to the tax-based communities is in fact monies that we have from the federal government's previous infrastructure program. I believe it was called the green program. That is what we are referring to in that statement.
Further Return To Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
Supplementary To Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
Charles Dent Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I read the Minister's statement, it says that the $1.86 million was provided for repairs and replacement last summer. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister advise this House whether or not he has made contact with the federal government to ensure that Canada's strategic infrastructure fund is provided to the North in a manner which is not related to population? In other words, will we get a more reasonable share of the money this time?
Supplementary To Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Minister Steen.
Further Return To Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my department has been working and I think we are cooperating with the Minister of Finance on that. He has been basically working with the federal government as to whether or not we will be receiving any of that funding. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Question 287-14(6): Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Minister Steen. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Question 288-14(6): Companies Registered Under The Business Incentive Policy
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister responsible for the business incentive policy in regards to my Member's statement. Mr. Speaker, I was amazed that in applying under the business incentive policy, all it takes to establish a northern business is to have a manager, set up a storefront and have one employee and you're qualified. Digging a little deeper, however, I find out that these companies are also subsidiaries of a bigger company based out of Alberta. So I would like to ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, does the government have any idea of how many businesses receive benefit from the business incentive policy that are truly northern businesses, and also how many are actually fronts for southern companies or multi-national companies in southern Canada?
Question 288-14(6): Companies Registered Under The Business Incentive Policy
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Minister Antoine.
Return To Question 288-14(6): Companies Registered Under The Business Incentive Policy
Question 288-14(6): Companies Registered Under The Business Incentive Policy
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 909
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have a business incentive policy that has been in place for a number of years and it has served northern businesses very well. I think right now we are still under the current business incentive policy. There are provisions in the policy itself to identify businesses that have applied to be under this policy, and the business has to comply with the legal requirements to carry out business in the Northwest Territories. So they have to be a legal business entity and registered as such.
Also, to be under this policy, there are a number of criteria that these businesses have to follow. There is quite an extensive qualification list. There is the application and we have a committee that reviews all the different applications. There is a senior management preference committee that is like an advisory committee that reviews these different businesses that apply.
So there is a criteria that we follow and the main ingredient here is that if a limited company with at least 51 percent of a company's voting shares is owned by northern residents then they qualify. That is one of them. There are a number of other criteria, but we do have tools within the current business incentive policy to look at all these different businesses and to determine whether they are following the criteria.
Furthermore, the department has a list of all the different companies that have registered under the business incentive policy, and if they are registered under the business incentive policy then they follow the northern business qualifications according to the policy. So they are indeed northern businesses under this policy.
That percentage is owned by whom is something that we have to look at. There are some companies that have been grandfathered in, fairly large corporations have been grandfathered in in this policy as well. So we have a number of different companies that may be huge corporations that do other business in the south, but if they are under this policy then they are also a northern business. Thank you.
Return To Question 288-14(6): Companies Registered Under The Business Incentive Policy
Question 288-14(6): Companies Registered Under The Business Incentive Policy
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 910
Supplementary To Question 288-14(6): Companies Registered Under The Business Incentive Policy
Question 288-14(6): Companies Registered Under The Business Incentive Policy
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 910
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the whole intention of the BIP is to ensure that northern businesses are able to compete with southern businesses, not for southern businesses to move north and take over the opportunities for northern businesses. I would like to ask the Minister does the government have any idea of the scale of the damage done to legitimate northern companies that have lost government contracts to southern companies who receive benefits under the BIP because of storefront?
Supplementary To Question 288-14(6): Companies Registered Under The Business Incentive Policy
Question 288-14(6): Companies Registered Under The Business Incentive Policy
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 910
Further Return To Question 288-14(6): Companies Registered Under The Business Incentive Policy
Question 288-14(6): Companies Registered Under The Business Incentive Policy
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 910
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a fairly complicated and impossible task to determine. As I indicated earlier, there are businesses that are BIPed that have to follow this policy. If they follow it and you qualify, then you're BIPed. So once you're BIPed it's hard to analyze if you're southern and what kind of damage you've done. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 288-14(6): Companies Registered Under The Business Incentive Policy
Question 288-14(6): Companies Registered Under The Business Incentive Policy
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 910