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. Hawkins. Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, we do have a consensus government, and we need to work together to achieve this. Mr. Speaker, I don’t have an exact dollar figure on the money that we spend down south for the treatment. I will be happy to get that specific information and get back to the Member. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Where is it on the departmental priority list, the internal priority list, Mr. Speaker, on establishing a treatment centre here in Yellowknife and in Inuvik? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we had an exchange a couple of days ago, treatment programs, and to have as much as possible in as many areas as possible especially as well as having presence of services available in our small communities. So the coverage of locations is important. Having treatment centres are important. But it’s also important to have enhanced programs in all spectrums dealing with addictions and mental health issues on prevention, on before care, aftercare, and treatment centre program is just part of that. So definitely we have to look at it from a comprehensive point of view, and this is absolutely a very important issue for me as a Minister and the department, and I’m hoping that for the Caucus, as well. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I heard about almost every priority in the world under that sort of umbrella of priorities. Mr. Speaker, I want to hear clearly where is the priority to build a treatment centre in Yellowknife and Inuvik, and can the Minister commit to bringing something clearly back to this House before February? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the Member is well aware, and everybody here is well aware, that we have just gone through a three-day Caucus planning session. We are to conclude that by the conclusion of next week. Coming out of that we will make priorities, as a Legislature, as to where that sort of project will fit into our overall objectives. So it will be very premature on my part to speak about that specifically because it involves capital planning process, as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for ITI. It’s in regards to my Member’s statement and the memorandum of understanding we have with the Gwich’in Tribal Council, and also the meeting that took place a week and a half ago in regards to the commitment that we have within those agreements to have ongoing meetings with the Gwich’in Tribal Council, its leadership, and its business community. Yet, Mr. Speaker, after talking to the president of the tribal council and a couple of the aboriginal leaders, there was very little by way of content at that meeting and information from this government to share in regards to the assessment that we have done over the years.

So, Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, knowing that this agreement expires March 31st , 2008, which is

four months down the road, and they have to come up with the renewal of a new agreement for April 1st this

coming year, so I’d like to ask the Minister, has he received a report back in regards to this meeting and what are we doing to basically look at the evaluation of this agreement?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was unfortunate that the meeting that the Member is referring to, that we were unable to attend because of a conflict in scheduling with some other commitments that we had here in Yellowknife. But we did rectify that by having the Premier and myself attend the meeting with all of the Gwich’in leadership and the president of the Gwich’in Tribal Council on Monday. We did have an opportunity to discuss the Gwich’in MOU, and I believe at the meeting all parties indicated they were very pleased with the performance of the MOU. There is a requirement for an evaluation of the MOU, which ends on March 31st , 2008.

There are provisions for renewal. We have been working with the Gwich’in to finalize the evaluation requirements. We expect to have that evaluation done shortly. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in regards to the evaluation of the MOU, they’re looking at five general areas. One is looking at meeting the MOU poses obligations. Two was meeting the MOU targets. Three is building Gwich’in business capacity. Four, providing benefits to Gwich’in beneficiaries. Five, meeting stakeholders’ expectations. I’d just like to ask the Minister, is it possible that we also include a sixth item to look at the recommendations by the Auditor General of Canada to see what are we doing as government to meet obligations under those land claims in light of the Auditor General’s report?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to point out that the MOU and contracting wasn’t set up as a requirement of the land claim, but it was set up as a policy decision by this government. Having said that, we are prepared to include those recommendations by the Auditor General and include it in the evaluation.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is there a possibility of this government meeting again with the Gwich’in Tribal Council on the MOU prior to the expiry date, which is March 31st , to look at seeing exactly what

the contents of the new agreement is going to look like, but, more importantly, ensuring they also are able to implement the agreements by way of the Auditor General report and other federal reports that have identified problems, especially in the implementation of land claim agreements?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are prepared to meet with the Gwich’in leadership early in the new year to discuss the MOU. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I heard the Minister mention that we don’t have an obligation under the land claim agreements. I believe we do, as someone who negotiated that agreement. There’s an economic measure which clearly identifies governments as an identity where they have to include aboriginal groups looking at the economic policies and procedures of this government and, more importantly, ensuring that we have access to economic opportunities. So I’d like to ask the Minister, are you open to going to the

negotiating table and look at the land claim obligations in light of the Auditor General report?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. McLeod.