This is page numbers 1057 - 1078 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

Return To Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1069

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Public Utilities Board determines rate zones and the Northwest Territories Power Corporation is a corporation that conducts the business of providing power to many of our communities, but not all of them. Some of our communities are on diesel. Others are on hydro. The government does provide a huge subsidy that diminishes the actual cost of the power that is provided to residents in many of the smaller communities. So we recognize that there is high cost and that there will be extreme hardship and this is the reason that governments in the past, this government included, continue to provide a way to diminish the difference between communities that have affordable rates and those that do not. Thank you.

Return To Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1069

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1069

Leon Lafferty North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did not get an answer there if he agreed with me that we are creating a hardship, but I would like to ask him again. We know the average cost is still higher in the smaller communities than they are in the communities on the road system or on hydro. For instance, people are paying over $300 for a residential home in Colville Lake where they are only paying less than $100 in Fort Smith. I do not think this is fair. I would like to ask the Premier if he agrees with me that we should be treating everybody fairly. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1069

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1069

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Yes, I agree that everybody should be treated fairly. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1069

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1069

Leon Lafferty North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Premier if he could give direction to his Cabinet to treat everybody fairly by implementing or giving direction to the Northwest Territories Power Corporation to proceed with plans to create a one-rate zone for the whole territory or even a two-tiered rate zone for hydro by itself and diesel by itself. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1069

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

June 12th, 2003

Page 1069

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the Public Utilities Board some years ago rejected the notion of a one-rate zone and basically ruled that the application that was made at that time was unacceptable because it placed an unreasonable burden on one group of rate payers for the benefit of another group and that that was not acceptable. Having said that, we also saw the Robertson report that was taken by this government two and a half years ago that basically proposed a two-rate zone. We asked for an energy strategy to be developed, which is here for consideration or will be very shortly. We have always said an energy strategy will help us decide how to focus the discussion on it. Ultimately it is the Public Utilities Board that determines rates and rate zones. The Northwest Territories Power Corporation will, I am sure, decide when and if they should proceed with applications. At this time it is not for Cabinet to address this. We indicated earlier that there are issues that are controversial, divisive, that should not be brought to Cabinet and to this legislature because of the proximity to the elections and that these issues, because they would be controversial, very divisive, should be left to the next legislature. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1069

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Your final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1069

Leon Lafferty North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are elected by our people to represent them. We are not elected to pawn off difficult decisions to other Legislative Assemblies. I would like to ask the Premier, if the Public Utilities Board has decided that it is going to create an extra burden on one group to have one rate zone, is it not in reverse that it is creating a burden on the one group by having a different rate zone? Now, somewhere down the road we are going to have to meet in the middle. This is the same thing that is going on all through the Territories. Everything that we are doing we are either pawning it off or we are not making decisions on it. All these strategies, and we do not make decisions on them. So I would like to ask the Premier, since we represent the people of the Territories why can this Cabinet not make a decision, or are they going to go ahead and approach the Public Utilities Board on behalf of the people of the Territories to make it fair and square for everyone? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1069

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1069

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had made a commitment to Members of the legislature, through the Accountability and Oversight committee a number of months ago, that we will not be bringing up issues that were deemed to be controversial and divisive in the closing months of this government, that we had our opportunity early on to deal with these issues. We, as a Cabinet, have taken the position that we do not want new rate zone proposals to come from the Northwest Territories Power Corporation until this legislature has dealt with the draft energy strategy. That draft energy strategy was shared with the Accountability and Oversight committee recently and there is yet to be some discussion on what to do with the draft energy strategy. So the Cabinet has made a decision. We made the decision over a year ago and the decision was to wait for some discussion on the draft energy strategy before any new initiatives were undertaken. As I said, the idea of a rate zone change potentially could be very divisive and controversial. So I will just point to the fact that I also agreed with a commitment to the Accountability and Oversight committee to avoid bringing up issues that would create controversy at this time. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Question 331-14(6): High Cost Of Power In Small Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1070

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Premier. 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 the Minister of Justice. Mr. Speaker, the Minister indicated in the House through a Minister's statement that resulting from the federal court ruling, youth would be treated differently within the justice system. As we all know, we just built a brand spanking new youth facility here in Yellowknife. I am wondering who we are going to put in there? The question I have for the Minister is, for those youth that are convicted of minor crimes that have to be dealt with at the community level or incarcerated at the community level, what does the Minister and this department plan to do to come up with correctional facilities or camp facilities? How is he planning to deal with youth justice in the community? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of Justice, Minister Allen.

Return To Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1070

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Preamble to the question here and to my answer is that we have invested quite heavily in community justice committees, restorative justice programs that are working well. We are not at liberty to determine what decisions are imposed by the courts on young offenders under the new Youth Justice Act. Our intention is to look at several of these program changes that would help support community justice committees as they deal with young offenders who are sentenced. Hopefully we will be able to facilitate through a funding mechanism a process that the committees will undertake, such as taking the youth out to winter camps and perhaps community service work and a number of other initiatives those committees deem necessary to work with the young offenders. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1070

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Supplementary To Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1070

Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that answer, even though it is pretty vague. Mr. Speaker, we are providing $20,000 to communities for part-time justice coordinators. That is just another example of how we have devolved responsibilities and under funded them. Can I ask the Minister if he can be a little bit more specific when dealing with the sentencing of youth for minor crimes in communities? There is lots of support from committees, but how about for the staff and the youth for rehabilitation and for staff safety and the work environment? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1070

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of Justice, Minister Allen.

Further Return To Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1070

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The new Youth Criminal Justice Act is most recent and has an impact on how sentencing is awarded to youth. However, in the context of the question, we see a lot of support provided to the community justice system so we can help them work through the initial impacts. So certainly, although our budget is limited, we can still provide certain support mechanisms through our staff working with the justice committees through the restorative justice program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1070

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Supplementary To Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1070

Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my constituents of Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution have come to the Department of Justice on more than one occasion in the past years to look at restorative justice, as the Minister put it, in the form of a camp where the youth and elders could be placed out there so there is a cultural component and there is a back-to-the-land component. The teaching of the ways of life of the aboriginal people could be part of the restorative process. I would like to ask the Minister if he can commit his department to look at that seriously over the summer and maybe come back with an option at the next session? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1070

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of Justice, Minister Allen.

Further Return To Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Question 332-14(6): Community Youth Justice Initiatives
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 1070

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we have people working in preparation for implementation of the new act and how we are going to deal with the various communities. Again, it varies from community to community. Again, I believe the important thing is that we need to be flexible and take that approach to work with each individual community and see how the best methods can be applied at this point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.