Debates of June 12th, 2003

This is page numbers 965 - 1056 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

Members Present
Item 1: Prayer
Update On Negotiations
Skills Canada Competition
Youth Criminal Justice Act
Conference Board Study Of NWT Economy
Manufacturing Strategy
Aboriginal Law Career Development Program
New NWT Sport And Recreation Board
Support For NWT Arts And Crafts Industry
Acknowledgement Of Disabled Athletes
Hay River Heritage Centre
Application For A Single Rate Zone For Power
Travels Of Princess Alexandra Grade 6 Classes
Core Health Services Available To NWT Residents
Negotiations With Specialist Physicians
Inequities Of The Medical Travel Co-payment
Role Of Special Committees
Tribute To Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus
Item 6: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Committee Report 15-14(6): Report On The Review Of Rule 70 Of The Rules Of The Legislative Assembly
Motion To Receive Committee Report 14-14(6) And Move To Committee Of The Whole
Committee Report 15-14(6): Report On The Review Of Rule 70 Of The Rules Of The Legislative Assembly
Motion To Receive Committee Report 15-14(6) And Move To Committee Of The Whole
Item 5: Returns To Oral Questions
Update On Negotiations
Contingency Plan For Specialist Services
Inconsistency In Treatment Of Medical Travel Costs
Hay River Heritage Centre
Government Sponsored Insurance Programs
Harmonization Of Social Housing And Income Support
Housing Meeting In Fort Resolution
Location Of Aklavik Health Centre
Letter Outlining Obstetricians' Concerns
Responsibility For Hay River Airport Maintenance
Status Of Fort Mcpherson Community Services Board
Negotiations With Specialist Physicians
Alcohol And Drug Treatment Services In Aklavik
Written Question 8-14(6): Business Incentive Policy
Written Question 9-14(6): Child Protection Services
Mr. Krutko's Reply
Tabled Document 68-14(6): June 11, 2003, Letter
Tabled Document 69-14(6): Cbc News Release "don't Come North NWT Colleagues Tell Docs" And E-mail
Tabled Document 70-14(6): Public Accounts Of The GNWT, Interim Report - Year Ended March 31, 2003
Tabled Document 71-14(6): June 11, 2003, Letter
Tabled Document 72-14(6): Status Of Women Council Of NWT Annual Report 2001-2002
Tabled Document 73-14(6): Support Manufacturing
Bill 18: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2003-2004
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Bill 13: An Act To Amend The Public Service Act
To Amend Clause 3 Subsection 40.1(1) Of Bill 14
Committee Motion 119-114(6): To Amend Clause 3 Subsection 40.1(2) Of Bill 14
To Amend Clause 3 Subsection 40.1(5) Of Bill 14
To Amend Clause 3 Subsection 40.3(1) Of Bill 14
To Amend Clause 3 Subsection 40.6(1)(d) Of Bill 14
To Amend Clause 5 Of Bill 13
Bill 13: Deh Cho Bridge Act
To Amend Clause 10 Of Bill 13
Bill 18: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2003-2004
To Report On $1.3 Million Project For The Tuktoyaktuk Road Reconstruction
Item 20: Report Of Committee Of The Whole
Bill 13: Deh Cho Bridge Act
Bill 14: An Act To Amend The Public Service Act
Bill 18: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2003-2004
Item 22: Orders Of The Day

Bill 18: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2003-2004
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The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Public Utilities Board, negative $21,000, not previously authorized.

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

---Agreed

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The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Total Executive offices, not previously authorized, negative $452,000.

Bill 18: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2003-2004
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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

---Agreed

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The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Ms. Lee.

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Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Sorry, I agree with that. Sorry, I was on the next page.

Bill 18: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2003-2004
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The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Total Executive offices, not previously authorized, negative $452,000.

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

---Agreed

Financial Management Board Secretariat

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The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

We'll move on to page 7. Financial Management Board Secretariat, Executive, operations expenditures, directorate, not previously authorized, $12,000. Ms. Lee.

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Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The information that I was provided to give me detail has no information on it at all about this cut. It says minimal impact, minimal impact, minimal impact for a $12,000 reduction under directorate. So may I ask the Minister as to where this cut is coming from for $12,000 out of the directorate? Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee.

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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Chairman, I'll ask the secretary to the Financial Management Board, since he is sitting here with me. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Mr. Voytilla.

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Voytilla

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We intend to take this out of our information management unit, $2000 out of materials and supplies, so we'll stretch our supplies more, we'll buy Bics instead of other pens. We're also looking at saving $10,000 by changing our habits with provision of training material in some of our training sessions. We'll be using photocopy material. We'll be using clips instead of binders. We'll just do things to economize in the production of training material, which is a significant part of this budget. The material will still be effective, we'll just use more cost-effective ways of producing it.

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June 12th, 2003

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The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Voytilla. Ms. Lee.

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Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a couple of questions. One is this reduction is $12,000 out of $5.9 million. So I guess a good, commonsense observation could be made that they probably could do without this $12,000. So my basic question is to why in the program that I mentioned earlier, you're cutting out $334,000 or something for student employment, but you're cutting only $12,000 out of almost $6 million? How do you explain that?

Bill 18: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2003-2004
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The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Handley.

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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Chairman, the direction that was given to departments was to identify 10 percent savings as discretionary money. The amount of discretionary money in each department and agency is very different. So in the case of the FMB Secretariat, a lot of the money, the $5 million that Ms. Lee refers to, is fixed costs. There is no room, there is no discretion on that. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Ms. Lee.

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Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

The Minister mentioned that a lot of that $5.9 million is fixed cost. Could I get information as to what fixed cost means?

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The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Handley, you're indicating Mr. Voytilla. Mr. Voytilla.

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Voytilla

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A lot of that would be salaries and wages for permanent staff. It would be our computer chargeback costs for the services we get from Public Works and Services and from the technical services centre. It would be the residual budget we have on staff housing, which would include our fixed leases and other arrangements we have for the residual inventory we have of housing, it would be our participation in the self-government negotiating process. So it's a cost of that nature, most of them being contractual obligations or salaries and wages.

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The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Voytilla. Directorate, negative $12,000.

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

---Agreed

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The Chair

The Chair Paul Delorey

Labour relations and compensation services, not previously authorized, negative $269,000. Ms. Lee.