Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. The Beverage Container Program has, by most accounts, been a real hit. I say that in a positive sense, around the territory. It's something that I was a supporter of on the idea of getting something off the ground for it. I was also, Mr. Chairman, a critic of the one aspect of the implementation of this program in that there are a number of communities, as we neared the implementation date which I believe was the 1st of August, was it, or 1st of September, that did not have depots or a way by which consumers could recover their deposit fees, but yet, Mr. Chairman, we were going to go ahead and continue to charge these people. So there was an element in there of unfairness, especially in the smallest communities where because of our administrative problems we weren't going to be able to refund the money but we were going to continue taking it from people. I wanted to ask, Mr. Chairman, how have we done on establishing mechanisms, by whatever means, in every community in the NWT so that people have a chance to recover their beverage container fee, Mr. Chairman.
Debates of Feb. 23rd, 2006
This is page numbers 1277 - 1328 of the Hansard for the 15th Assembly, 4th 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
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1319
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1319
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1319
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have 23 independently operated depots. We have four that are operating on a contractual arrangement, then we have four that we are continuing to carry as ENR as we continue to work on getting community involvement. Thank you.
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1319
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1319
Bill Braden Great Slave
Mr. Chairman, are there any communities that do not have some kind of mechanism in place by which people can recover or return their containers and get their fees? Thank you.
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1319
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1319
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
No, Mr. Chairman. The four communities that we are involved in are the smaller communities of Colville, Sachs, Paulatuk and Holman. I won't try that right now. Holman, I apologize, Mr. Chairman. But every community has capacity to return the containers for refund.
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1319
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1319
Bill Braden Great Slave
Mr. Chairman, also in this area was, under the waste recovery and reduction act, was a provision whereby an environment fund could be established whereby the surcharges under any program, and I'm assuming this program may be one, are to be deposited into this fund. The monies are then intended to cover operational expenses for subsequent programs. Has this fund been established, Mr. Chairman, and, if so, how is the cash flow happening and what are the monies being used for, Mr. Chairman?
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1319
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1319
Magrum
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, an environment fund was established and to December 31st, the expenses were approximately $100,000. This is being offset against the fund. The 2005-06 revised budget for the environment fund is $820,000. Under other expenses, total revised budget is $920,000.
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1319
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1319
Bill Braden Great Slave
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We will come back to the Beverage Container Program for a moment. The Minister indicated that in the smallest of the communities, the ones that have been most difficult to find a contract or a service provider for this, our own officers or our own staff have set up some kind of a service here. The question here is whether or not the people in the community are actually getting any refunds. Is there cash being returned to the people in these communities? I understand there is provision whereby empties are being returned or collected, but the real concern is, is cash actually being returned to the consumers in these smallest communities, Mr. Chair?
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1320
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1320
Bailey
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, people in communities have the opportunity to return their bottles, cans or other returnable items to ENR officials when ENR officials are in those communities. They are given a refund at that time.
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1320
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1320
Bill Braden Great Slave
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have some information that maybe is at some odds with that, but I would just like an opportunity to confirm it. Maybe we will come back to the Minister with that. That is all I have, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Committee Motion 27-15(4): Recommendation To Delete $491,000 From Department Of Finance, Fiscal Policy, Defeated
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1320
The Chair Calvin Pokiak
Thank you, Mr. Braden. 12-19, activity summary, environmental protection, operations. Mr. Villeneuve.
Committee Motion 28-15(4): Recommendation That Maca And Enr Draft Stay Clean Strategies For Communities, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
February 23rd, 2006
Page 1320
Robert Villeneuve Tu Nedhe
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the departments of Municipal and Community Affairs and Environment and Natural Resources work together to draft a strategy to help communities and the surrounding areas stay clean, litter free and eliminate illegal dumping. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 28-15(4): Recommendation That Maca And Enr Draft Stay Clean Strategies For Communities, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1320
The Chair Calvin Pokiak
Thank you. There is a motion on the floor. The motion is being distributed. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Committee Motion 28-15(4): Recommendation That Maca And Enr Draft Stay Clean Strategies For Communities, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1320
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 28-15(4): Recommendation That Maca And Enr Draft Stay Clean Strategies For Communities, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1320
The Chair Calvin Pokiak
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Committee Motion 28-15(4): Recommendation That Maca And Enr Draft Stay Clean Strategies For Communities, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1320
The Chair Calvin Pokiak
Page 12-19, activity summary, environmental protection, operations expenditure summary, $2.725 million.
Committee Motion 28-15(4): Recommendation That Maca And Enr Draft Stay Clean Strategies For Communities, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1320
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 28-15(4): Recommendation That Maca And Enr Draft Stay Clean Strategies For Communities, Carried
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1320
The Chair Calvin Pokiak
Page 12-20, 12-21, activity summary, environmental protection, grants and contributions, contributions, total grants and contributions, $460,000. Mr. Braden.