This is page numbers 303 - 340 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 health.

Topics

Further Return To Question 118-15(6): Northern Residents Tax Deduction
Question 118-15(6): Northern Residents Tax Deduction
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 315

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we've seen from our results and many discussions that involve the Northwest Territories and other provincial and territorial Ministers of Finance, as well as the federal government, the process can be rather involved. We are working with that. We have initiated the contact and we're starting to get those responses. As well, we have the opportunity and actually, as I stated earlier, we're going to be working together with our territorial colleagues in making a joint presentation in Iqaluit on September 24th as the House finance committee launches their pre-budget consultations. So that's another avenue that we'll be making a presentation and doing recommendations, as well as continued effort on the territorial and provincial side in getting this onto the agenda with the federal Department of Finance. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 118-15(6): Northern Residents Tax Deduction
Question 118-15(6): Northern Residents Tax Deduction
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 315

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Oral questions. The honourable Member from Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 315

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty North Slave

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker...(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, the original plan of the Gameti school extension involved the community, the elders, the youth; most importantly, the past elders and respected Tlicho leadership. The community leadership are begging to stick to the original plans. So, Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister explain why his department is calling for a redesign of the school project in Gameti when the higher costs are due to the marketplace, not the school design? Mahsi.

Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 315

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Return To Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 316

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the original budget for this project, Education, Culture and Employment had $2.8 million. In order to complete the project on the prices received, we would have had to seek an extra $3.8 million; so more than the actual cost in the budget. As Members in this House will know, it's a challenge at any time to find additional money for projects and that project was, unfortunately, one of those ones that we couldn't find the extra money for in this year's plan. The problem we're really facing, though, is that this project is coming in, Mr. Speaker, more than $2,000 a square metre higher than any of the other projects that we're looking at in this current year in construction and we're concerned that if we accept a bid at that price, it sets the standard for future ones and this government can't afford to be building schools at that price. So we're hoping that, although the Member doesn't believe that we'll find some savings, we're hoping that a redesign might find some savings to bring the price down.

Return To Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 316

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 316

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty North Slave

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to focus on the need of the community; the community of Gameti. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister tell these Members here around the table why he and his department believe that the people of Gameti do not want the same educational and recreation programs for their children that he and other Yellowknife Members take for granted for their children here in Yellowknife and other major centres? Mahsi.

Supplementary To Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 316

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 316

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are committed to making sure that we offer good educational programs in all communities in the Northwest Territories. This government, as the Premier noted in his sessional statement today, has a pretty good record in making sure that we are putting a lot of money into education. Mr. Speaker, we are, though, going to have to take a look at designs of all of our schools, given the prices that we're seeing them come in at. I want to make it very clear, Mr. Speaker, that in communities across the Northwest Territories, very many communities, we are using portables to provide schooling and they are providing very adequate service. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 316

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 316

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty North Slave

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the portable is just a quick fix-up and we certainly want a long-term solution here. Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister. Will the Minister tell the Members why extraordinary funding was found by this government to go ahead with the construction of the school in Tulita when the project was millions of dollars over budget and the Minister will not do the same for the Gameti school? Mahsi.

Supplementary To Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 316

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 316

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in the answer to the first question, there's a difference of $2,000 a square metre between the project the Member just mentioned and the cost we're being asked for the school in Gameti. We, at this point, are struggling with that difference and can't understand why we're being faced with that, and that's one of the reasons we want to go back and ask Public Works to work with the architects to look at a redesign. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 316

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 316

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty North Slave

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my final question to the Minister, with respect, we have to respect our elders' wish to have an addition to our school with a gymnasium for our children to have a healthy lifestyle and wellness in the community. So my final question to the Minister: Will the Minister do the right thing and add and support a third option to his briefing note where the GNWT will find the money to go forward with this project on this year's winter road, 2007-08, and build the school addition and gymnasium as planned with the original plan? Mahsi.

Supplementary To Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 316

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 316

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the next period of time, I can commit to the Member and the residents of Gameti that this government will explore all options. If there is any way possible that we can meet the community's desire and still get the construction done or the materials in over this year's winter road, we will work to achieve that. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Question 119-15(6): Gameti School Addition
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 316

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Oral questions. The honourable Member from Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to address some questions to the Premier in relation to the long sought agreements-in-principle on devolution and resource revenue sharing. Mr. Speaker, there has been tremendous sustained work through the spring and the summer, I know, to try to achieve something prior to the end of the life of this Assembly and this government, but we're not there. However, the Prime Minister, on his rather casual swing through Yellowknife the other week, did offer a little bit of insight into the situation and he was quoted as saying we're closer but not there yet, regarding the AIP negotiations. Mr. Speaker, could the Premier interpret the Prime Minister's remarks for us and tell us

what progress has been made and what remains yet to be finalized in our AIP negotiations?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 120-15(6): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement
Question 120-15(6): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 317

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I can provide more detail. Mr. Speaker, as we've said before, there were six outstanding items between ourselves and the federal government and I won't go through each of them, but I will say that there are only two that are still outstanding. One has to do with the issues around net fiscal benefit. The other one has to do with the amount of money that would be transferred when federal employees and services are transferred to GNWT.

Mr. Speaker, in the case of net fiscal benefit, we are not going to accept a bad deal. We'd sooner have no deal. The Prime Minister has committed that northerners must be the primary beneficiaries of resource development. We take him at his word on that and we have included, in the draft agreement-in-principle, those words. The negotiators didn't want to have those words in. They wanted to leave us to negotiate a cap on our net fiscal benefit. That doesn't make us very comfortable. I think we have made some progress in having their negotiator agree to put the words back into the agreement-in-principle, but the negotiator is briefing the responsible Minister I think this week, but possibly next week. That was one issue. We are not going to accept anything less than a good deal for the North.

Mr. Speaker, the second issue was around a base transfer. That one is a fairly small one to resolve, in my mind. It may need a political solution and I intend to try to achieve that with that situation. Mr. Speaker, that one, we're only a few million dollars apart. The federal negotiators seem to believe that they have reached the maximum in their mandate and they're asking to go back and talk with the Minister responsible.

So, Mr. Speaker, those are the two issues. A base transfer, the amount of money, which is not a huge amount in the bigger scale of things, and second is on net fiscal benefit where we're not ready to accept a deal that puts a cap on what we will receive. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 120-15(6): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement
Question 120-15(6): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 317

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 120-15(6): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement
Question 120-15(6): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 317

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A condition that has always been before us, and I referenced it in my statement, is that while I think it was in the words of Minister Nault, a former Minister of Northern Affairs, that we do not need to see absolutely all northern governments signing off on the agreement, but there needs to be a very strong majority of northern governments ready to participate in this kind of deal. Without, as we unfortunately experienced in May, without the Tlicho, the Akaitcho or the Dehcho on board, is it feasible that we will still see Canada signing off even though these three governments, at least to my knowledge, Mr. Speaker, have not indicated their willingness to join into this AIP, Mr. Speaker?

Supplementary To Question 120-15(6): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement
Question 120-15(6): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 317

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 120-15(6): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement
Question 120-15(6): Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement
Item 7: Oral Questions

Page 317

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, the best of my knowledge in a negotiation and in any discussions, the fact that only four out of seven aboriginal organizations have signed on has never been an issue with the federal government. They have not raised that at all. They are satisfied with the four that we have been working with us. Thank you.