This is page numbers 131 - 159 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 1st 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 work.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Premier commit to meeting with me and the people, the councils in the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk and the community corp, as well? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. Mr. Roland.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would be prepared to try to arrange a meeting with the Member and his community leaders when we can find some time; probably early in the new year at some point, but I would be prepared to set some time up with the Member and go into his community. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Question 76-16(1): Building Canada Fund
Item 7: Oral Questions

November 29th, 2007

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, getting back to my Member’s statement from earlier today, during the last federal budget, an announcement was made of a $33 billion infrastructure program called the Building Canada Fund. I’d like to ask questions to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs about this fund. On Wednesday, I’d asked questions of the Minister of Transportation about whether a list existed from this government to the federal government in terms of what the priorities were. Here we are 48 hours later, less than 48 hours later and I’d like to ask the Minister of MACA, does a list exist and what’s on it? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have not provided any projects to the federal government at this point. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess that wasn’t the answer to the question that I was looking for. Again, I’d like to ask the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs what is on the list and how did the government arrive at making those items that are on that list a priority? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. McLeod.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member asked me what was on the list that we provided the federal government. Mr. Speaker, we have not provided a list to the federal government. Mr. Speaker, the list that the Member is referring to has not been compiled

yet. There are a couple of projects that we’d like to announce once we have our framework negotiations completed. The list that’s being requested would be developed through the interim appropriations discussions and the capital planning and more than likely be targeted towards projects already in our business plan. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m wondering if the Minister can let the Regular Members of this House know how the government plans to consult with Regular Members when it comes to making things a priority of this government. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. McLeod.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you. I think, Mr. Speaker, we’ve done and taken the first step towards that by meeting with the committee and informing them of the process and the steps that we need to take. The first step, of course, is to sign a framework agreement. We hope to do that by sometime in December, and then we’d like to move forward with a funding agreement. We’ll be sitting down with committee to address the priority areas and the areas that we would like to see investment in. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On this list, is there a regional balance in terms of projects that’s going to the federal government? Can the Minister comment on that? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. McLeod.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure what list the Member is referring to, so I’d have to get him to clarify that.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my statement, I mentioned that the current subsidy program for day cares creates difficulties for them to manage their operation on a budget which is always changing. Does the Department of Education, Culture and Employment fund day cares…Sorry. Why does the department fund day cares based on a daily attendance subsidy?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the funding is, most of the day cares in the Northwest Territories are based on the enrolment of the students. I’m sorry, the children and based on attendance. But there has been some, I would say, increase in the contribution in 2007 in the childcare facilities. So those are the things that we are looking at, that our department is planning on, depending on the priorities and planning that’s coming out as a strategy. So if that fits into that, then we will certainly work with that. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.