This is page numbers 265 - 302 of the Hansard for the 15th 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 going.

Topics

Return To Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 279

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 279

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's very good news and I know a lot of families will be looking forward to hearing about this next month. Mr. Speaker, the Minister mentioned children and perhaps I missed something in his reply but I would like to confirm, are we also going to be acknowledging or accommodating adults, Mr. Speaker, who can sometimes find themselves in situations where they are perhaps as helpless as children but still warrant and can be provided the support of families? Will we be acknowledging the situations for disabled adults, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 279

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 279

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are planning to change the focus of the Income Support Program from one of a program of last resort, to one that looks at what are the needs of an individual and a person who is disabled needs an ability to participate in society. They have different needs than somebody who is able bodied and perhaps just in between jobs. So the focus of the program is going to be significantly different. I believe we will be able to significantly improve on the supports that we are providing. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 279

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 279

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will these reforms enable families who are able to tap into our support system and provide that kind of long-term support in their homes as opposed to having to look perhaps only at institutions as their only real options? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 279

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 280

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the big changes we are proposing with the Income Security Program is a focus on bringing more than one department together to work with individuals; case management, if you will. Some of the level of support that might be required by some of the individuals in our system wouldn't necessarily be available through one department. They may not all be available to changes through the Income security Program, but perhaps by case management working with Health and Social Services and the Income Support Program and the Housing Corporation, we may be able to find ways to more adequately deal with people who up until now have been slipping through the cracks. That's the overall goal of the change that we are proposing to bring forward in September.

Further Return To Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Question 107-15(6): Support Systems For Persons With Disabilities
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 280

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are addressed to the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation and it's with regard to the current practice of the Housing Corporation when it comes to having new houses built in communities where they've moved over to what they call commodity packaging and it has to be for all the communities on the road system. If you want to bid, you have to bid on all the windows for the houses in all the communities or the doors or the framing as opposed to supply and build in the community. In my community of Fort Smith, it puts the local building supplier at a distinct disadvantage in competing against the large companies like Igloo which now has its main plant and factory in Edmonton. I just wanted to ask the Premier, is there any flexibility or ways that there will be a more level playing field as it was in the old days, even when it was supply and erect? The building supplier had access to bidding through the local contractors. In this case, they are cut out of the opportunity because they are not big enough to compete. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 108-15(6): Contracts For Housing Construction Materials
Question 108-15(6): Contracts For Housing Construction Materials
Item 8: Oral Questions

May 16th, 2007

Page 280

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Housing Corporation, over the years, has gone to great expense to try to deliver the housing in a way that is affordable, but is also done so that northern businesses have maximum opportunity to benefit from it. That's why in some cases we do the supply, ship and erect where it's all to one person. In some cases, it's labour only and we supply the material and in other cases, it's a combination of those.

Mr. Speaker, I am open to looking at how we do this in a way that is going to meet those smaller companies the Member is referring to that can't compete with the big companies yet want to benefit from this and do it in a way that keeps the price affordable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 108-15(6): Contracts For Housing Construction Materials
Question 108-15(6): Contracts For Housing Construction Materials
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 280

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Supplementary To Question 108-15(6): Contracts For Housing Construction Materials
Question 108-15(6): Contracts For Housing Construction Materials
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 280

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could the Premier indicate how he would see or be able to deal with this circumstance? Would it be a case of the building supply owner to contact the president or what would the Premier suggest? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 108-15(6): Contracts For Housing Construction Materials
Question 108-15(6): Contracts For Housing Construction Materials
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 280

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 108-15(6): Contracts For Housing Construction Materials
Question 108-15(6): Contracts For Housing Construction Materials
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 280

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, I haven't had the opportunity to discuss this at any great extent yet with the president, but I will. I would certainly encourage the company involved to talk to the president and see if there is another creative way of doing this. It may be that there are enough units, for example, in a community that we could look at a different way of doing it where a local established business would be able to put in a reasonable price. Mr. Speaker, I would commit to speaking with the president and ask the company concerned to also do the same. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 108-15(6): Contracts For Housing Construction Materials
Question 108-15(6): Contracts For Housing Construction Materials
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 280

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the project of the magnitude of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline continues to be a topic. Now I hear that there is a meeting going on in Ottawa. I would like to direct my questions today to Premier Handley. I would like to ask the Premier if he or the government was aware that this meeting was going on in Ottawa between the proponents and the Government of Canada. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 109-15(6): Role Of GNWT In Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Projects
Question 109-15(6): Role Of GNWT In Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Projects
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 280

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me say we have gone, again, a long way to saying to the federal government and the proponent that we want to be in the room when there are discussions going on, the results of which we may inherit at some point. Mr. Speaker, we were not aware that this meeting was happening, although we knew generally that these kind of discussions would be taking place at some time in the future. But in reference to the meeting that took place, we did not know of that specific meeting, Mr. Speaker. That is of concern to us.

Return To Question 109-15(6): Role Of GNWT In Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Projects
Question 109-15(6): Role Of GNWT In Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Projects
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 280

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 109-15(6): Role Of GNWT In Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Projects
Question 109-15(6): Role Of GNWT In Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Projects
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 281

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Premier for that. I hope it doesn't go to show the importance Ottawa places on our government or lack of it. I would like to ask the Premier if he's communicated to them his disappointment that we are not in the room at the meeting. On something that is so important to the Northwest Territories, we have to be there. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 109-15(6): Role Of GNWT In Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Projects
Question 109-15(6): Role Of GNWT In Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Projects
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 281

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 109-15(6): Role Of GNWT In Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Projects
Question 109-15(6): Role Of GNWT In Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Projects
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 281

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our officials have insisted we be there. This one happened, we didn't know and, as I say, that is of great concern to us. Assuming we have devolution and resource revenue sharing at some point, this is a concern to the people of the North.

Mr. Speaker, in answer to the question, yes, either I will or the Minister of Finance will again say to Ottawa that you can't just give us lip service on this, you have to follow through and let us know these meetings are there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 109-15(6): Role Of GNWT In Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Projects
Question 109-15(6): Role Of GNWT In Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Projects
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 281

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.