This is page numbers 1073 - 1100 of the Hansard for the 15th Assembly, 3rd 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 going.

Topics

Members Present

Honourable Brendan Bell, Mr. Braden, Honourable Paul Delorey, Mrs. Groenewegen, Honourable Joe Handley, Mr. Hawkins, Honourable David Krutko, Ms. Lee, Mr. Menicoche, Honourable Michael Miltenberger, Mr. Pokiak, Mr. Ramsay, Honourable Floyd Roland, Mr. Villeneuve, Mr. Yakeleya, Mr. Zoe

---Prayer

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Good morning, Members. Orders of the day, item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Charles Dent will be absent from the House today to attend the federal/provincial/territorial Ministers of Culture and Heritage meeting in Halifax.

I would also like to advise Members that the Honourable Michael McLeod will be absent from the House today to attend to a personal matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday night while in Ottawa for the First Ministers' meeting, I had the opportunity to attend the Energy Council of Canada's annual dinner. I was pleased to attend this event as the highlight of the dinner was the presentation of the Canadian Energy Person of the Year for 2004, which I am thrilled to say is Ms. Nellie Cournoyea.

---Applause

The recognition of Ms. Cournoyea is a very deserving one. For most northerners, Nellie Cournoyea is no stranger. She is a former Premier of the Northwest Territories and current chair/CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.

Born in Aklavik, Ms. Cournoyea was educated through the federal Aklavik Day School by Alberta correspondence courses. She worked at CBC Inuvik for nine years as an announcer and station manager, was a land claim fieldworker for the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada and a founding member and later administrator and land rights worker of the Committee of Original Peoples' Entitlement. She was the first managing director of the Inuvialuit Development Corporation after being part of the land rights negotiating team. She also held the position of implementation coordinator for the Inuvialuit Final Agreement for several years and served on the board of directors of the Inuvialuit Petroleum Arbitration Board. Having decided not to run in the 1995 NWT election, Ms.

Cournoyea returned to the Beaufort-Delta in January 1998. She was re-elected chair/CEO of IRC, a position she holds today.

She has received many other awards including:

  • • Woman of the Year Award from the NWT Native Women's Association, 1982;
  • • Wallace Goose Award from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, 1986;
  • • National Aboriginal Achievement Award, 1994;
  • • Honourary Doctorates in Law, Lakehead University, 1995, Carleton University, 1996 and the University of Toronto, 1996.

The Energy Council of Canada is the Canadian Member Committee of the World Energy Council. It is made up of over 100 members from Canada's energy sector, dedicated to enhancing the effectiveness of Canada's national energy policy. The council seeks "to forge a better understanding of energy issues among the public and private sectors and the country at large, through discussion and exchange of information on all forms and aspects of energy." The primary goal, as Canada's pan-energy association, is to work with the sectoral energy associations to create a vigorous and effective energy strategy dialogue in Canada, engaging a broad range of players in industry and in governments.

Mr. Speaker, Members of the Legislative Assembly, please join with me in congratulating Ms. Nellie Cournoyea for being the much deserving recipient of this national award. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Canadian War Memorial At Vimy Ridge
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Mahsi, thank you and good morning, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this year on a family vacation to Europe, my family and I took the opportunity to visit one of the most remarkable and inspiring places I've seen and that was the Canadian War Memorial at Vimy Ridge in France, Mr. Speaker. The time allotted won't allow me to go into a description of everything that we saw and felt, but it was a very calm and a very quite day in June when my family and I walked amongst the monuments. Those 30-metre-tall white marble spires dominating the landscape are indeed inspiring. The rows and rows of graves of

Canadians and other allied service people who gave their lives in that remarkable First World War battle and the tours of the tunnels and the front lines and the remarkable damage and carnage that happened during that battle were very humbling. They made me feel very grateful for the sacrifices of Canadian and other service people over the three years of that campaign, and they gave me a great feeling of pride, Mr. Speaker, for what our Canadian nation has done since then and today around the world.

Mr. Speaker, there are still many veterans of World War II and the Korean War; 25, I understand, who live in the Northwest Territories. I salute them. I hope that we all do that on Remembrance Day on November 11th, and I want to express the gratitude that I have in a sense that I hope we never take for granted the sacrifices that they made to give us one of the most remarkable things and that is freedom to have our say, to speak our minds and for the democratic institution that we all work with and celebrate day after day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Canadian War Memorial At Vimy Ridge
Item 3: Members' Statements

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An Hon. Member

Hear! Hear!

---Applause

Canadian War Memorial At Vimy Ridge
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Zoe.

NWT Council Of Sport And Recreation Partners
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Henry Zoe

Henry Zoe North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, leading an active lifestyle, getting outside in the fresh air and participating in sports improves peoples' lives. For elders, leading an active lifestyle can prevent diseases like diabetes and being active can help you to better manage an illness. For youth, being active improves self-esteem, their coordination and even their performance in school. Benefits of an active lifestyle are...(inaudible)... and one of the answers to a lot of our social problems in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, that's why I want to say that I'm glad that the implementation plan for the Northwest Territories Council of Sport and Recreation Partners is complete now and this is a very worthwhile initiative. Before this new council was created, a lot of small communities didn't feel like they were involved with sports and recreation. Recreation in the communities suffered. Programs weren't being coordinated very well, and there just wasn't enough money for them.

Mr. Speaker, I'm particularly excited by the NWT Council of Sport and Recreation Partners proposed duties. The new council will have an advocacy role, and they promise to engage and involve every community while respecting their individuality. The NWT Council of Sport and Recreation Partners is also promising to listen and respond to the communities. The council is going to ensure community support, which I think is a good initiative, Mr. Speaker, and a long time coming.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, the new council is supposed to make sure that all residents of the Northwest Territories have access to sports and recreation programs. Mr. Speaker, three years of consultation went into creating the council and it wasn't an easy process, but I think it is a very worthwhile initiative. The new council is supposed to be appointed by February 2005 and they are going to have their first meeting in April. I just want to wish them the best of luck. Mahsi.

---Applause

NWT Council Of Sport And Recreation Partners
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Zoe. Item 3, the honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Need For A Medical Detoxification Facility
Item 3: Members' Statements

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David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about the need for a medical detox facility in Yellowknife. I'd like to talk about this subject because I don't want Archie Tsetta and Vawn Ruthven, who are two of hundreds of northerners who struggled with drug and alcohol addiction problems, to have died in vain. Eighteen months ago, coroner's juries in both Ruthven's and Tsetta's case called for a medical detox facility, but the Minister of Health and Social Services has failed to respond to those recommendations. In response to a report calling again for a new addictions strategy, including medical detoxing, Minister Miltenberger's response was, and I quote "we have to make a fundamental decision about whether we want to put money into bricks and mortar or do we want to put money into programs at the community level."

Mr. Speaker, I think the money should go where the people need it most, and that is to a dedicated detox facility. That, to me, is fundamental, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, for some addictions like the addiction to crack cocaine, you need to be able to medically detoxify. Your withdrawal has to be managed safely and medically. Twenty percent of addicts die while going through delirium treatments, or the DTs. Currently, Stanton and Hay River are the only places in the North that have detox beds and these services are inconsistent. Stanton is currently spending $5,000 per week to care for addicts. That's $250,000 per year, Mr. Speaker. The time and resources used to deal with addictions takes away from the hospital's ability to deal with other medical issues. We have a serious drug problem in the Territories and it's only getting worse.

A while ago the RCMP found 541 grams of crack cocaine destined for Yellowknife in a truck that went off the road. At the beginning of this month police seized 193 grams of crack cocaine out of a hotel room in Hay River. One million dollars annually is spent on the drug trade in Hay River alone, and about $100,000 of that is for crack cocaine. Really, no one knows how much is spent in Yellowknife.

The RCMP have noticed a drastic increase in cocaine usage. The Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre, who two years ago used to only treat those addicted to alcohol and marijuana, is now starting to see a rise in those addicted to stimulants like crack cocaine. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Need For A Medical Detoxification Facility
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Ramsay.

Need For A Medical Detoxification Facility
Item 3: Members' Statements

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David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Drugs are reaching the North from the highway system and the dealers are attracted by the high prices they can sell crack cocaine for in the North. The going rate is $120 per gram. That's $40 to $50 more a gram than it sells for down south. Mr. Speaker, apparently we have become a Disneyland for drug dealers. Our drug use is going through the roof, but we have very little to offer those who are addicted and those who need help. We have to be able to help addicts when they need help and we need to do it safely, humanely and effectively. We need a medical detox facility and we need one now, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause

Need For A Medical Detoxification Facility
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Territorial Power Rate Support Program
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the last government and again recently there have been concerns raised about the cost of power in communities served by diesel generators. This is particularly of concern at this time because of the unprecedented high price of crude oil and the volatility of supply issues. I would like to see this government look at two things: first of all, a proactive and immediate response to anticipated riders in diesel communities. These communities need to be protected where the costs of other essential goods and services are already higher than other communities.

---Applause

For the longer term, a Territorial Power Support Program will go some ways towards addressing price increases, but the gaps in the Territorial Power Support Program, as related to small business, will be magnified by price increases and rate riders. This is why I believe the GNWT needs to take a serious look at the territorial support program now. Previous opinions and rulings of the Public Utilities Board have been quite categorical about the fact that their mandate is to regulate NTPC as a utility like any other, regardless of who the shareholder is. This is based on normal principles regarding allowable expenses and rates of return. It is then the mandate of this government to address the concerns of social and economic fairness to the regions and the constituents that we represent. This issue requires immediate attention. It will cost money, however, I consider it a priority of this government to mitigate the high cost of energy where that cost is prohibitive to economic growth or it denies residents a reasonable and affordable cost of living in our communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Territorial Power Rate Support Program
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Community Support For Persons With Disabilities
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, growing up in Fort Norman as a young boy I first began to notice that not all people are born the same. Mr. Speaker, it was my grandfather who taught me this. You see, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Noel Gladue, my grandfather, was in his latest stages of his life as being labelled "normal person" as I saw him as a young boy. Mr. Speaker, shortly after that, my grandfather was confined to his wheelchair until he passed away in the early '80s.

Mr. Speaker, I watched on CBC last night about a young boy who was born disabled, and yet he made great strides to live his life to the fullest in spite of the challenges he faced everyday. Mr. Speaker, what my grandfather taught me, my brothers and sisters, was patience, persistence, life is what you make of it, and count your blessings, just do things.

Mr. Speaker, there are people with disabilities in each of our communities and there are specific programs and services available to them offered by this government and the Government of Canada. However, at times these programs and services make it very difficult to make the most of these programs by our special people. We need to pay close attention to these issues. They often go unnoticed or are pushed aside as not being important. Mr. Speaker, some of these people who are labelled disabled have a hard time living in our small communities or even in larger centres. We, as government legislators, must really step up to the plate and hit a homerun for our special people. Mahsi.

---Applause

Community Support For Persons With Disabilities
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Proposal To Establish Nahendeh Airline
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker, mahsi cho. Today I want to address the issue of business opportunities. Everywhere in the North right now people are beginning to look ahead to the construction of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline. However, if we in the North are going to benefit from the opportunities the pipeline project is expected to bring, we need to be prepared, with businesses up and running for when the ball starts rolling. The opportunities that are expected to come will be diverse.

Construction of a pipeline will require a wide range of services, not all of them directly related to pipeline construction and engineering. One area that will see a significant increase in business opportunities is the airline business. Leaders in my riding have identified an opportunity there and are trying to take advantage of it. Chiefs from six communities have developed a proposal to consolidate existing local airlines into one large company that will be able to respond to the coming changes and take full advantage of them and profit thereby. The chiefs see the proposal as a way to take control of their own destiny.

I believe a proposal like this would be an efficient use of local resources and would contribute significantly to the economic independence of communities and would be a source of pride. As a government, we are supportive of such initiatives. In fact, one of our goals is self-reliant people and communities on the Northwest Territories. With this proposal, we must act quickly and efficiently or else there is a great danger we will lose out the

opportunity that is being presented to us. Once again, established southern interests mainly move in, take over and our wealth will move out.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the government doesn't seem to understand the urgency of this issue for the chiefs. The Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, upon receipt of this proposal, indicated that historically it will take a year to process and make this proposal a reality; a year, Mr. Speaker. There probably won't be an opportunity a year from now. The opportunity will have been lost to some other investments somewhere else. I want to impress upon the Minister and the government the need to respond quickly to this proposal and treat it with the urgency it requires. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Proposal To Establish Nahendeh Airline
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Monitoring Consumption Of Fuels And Power
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise again because I still have concerns about the rising oil prices. Mr. Speaker, I spoke yesterday to the Minister of FMBS about these concerns. Unfortunately, I felt that my answers were lacking any true lustre. Mr. Speaker, I am concerned again and I will have questions about the monitoring and consumption of fuel and power. I don't believe that I got solid answers on how we are doing this. So, Mr. Speaker, attention needs to be looked at this issue. It's a serious issue. We need direction. I'm not suggesting that we need to spend oodles of government money that we do not have. I'm talking about a directive. I'm talking about conscious steps that we could be taking. As I said yesterday, we could be suggesting turn down those lights, turn down those heating register dials. We could be doing things like that. Don't let our cars idle as long. I'm not talking about well, we budgeted for this a year ago on an annual basis, we'll readdress this. I'm not talking about costly renovations either. I'm talking about simple, conscious choices.

Mr. Speaker, it's time this government gets running with those stone legs. Mr. Speaker, I think this government has lead feet on this issue. Unless this Finance Minister knows how to turn lead into gold, we're in real trouble, Mr. Speaker.

Monitoring Consumption Of Fuels And Power
Item 3: Members' Statements

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An Hon. Member

Big trouble.

Monitoring Consumption Of Fuels And Power
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

We need a directive that looks at this problem. This is a simple solution. We need to personalize this solution as a commitment to the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause