This is page numbers 451 - 494 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 work.

Topics

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty North Slave

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to talk about the transfers of some positions to the Tlicho region. I'm not sure when this will happen. I'm talking about the staff housing. We're still not sure about what's happening with that so I'd like to ask the Premier a question. (Translation ends)

I raised an issue on the North Slave staff being transferred to Behchoko, the soon-to-be headquarters for the Tlicho region. Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to focus on a staff housing initiative that the Executive department is currently undertaking. The question is to the Premier. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Premier for the current status of the proposed staff housing in Behchoko for all of these new GNWT employees who are supposed to be transferred. Where are they at with their discussion and plan? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Return To Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The regional director has been dealing with this issue; he has been looking at which staff positions can be transferred, the availability of staff housing and the availability of office space. Mr. Speaker, I don't have an up-to-date report on exactly where that's at. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
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Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty North Slave

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my next question was to get into detailed questions, but I can probably wait. The next question I have is the Tlicho Government continues in effect as in all two years ago. It is imperative that the GNWT respects the self-governance of the Tlicho people. How soon can we anticipate the building of this staff housing? Mahsi.

Supplementary To Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Item 7: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Item 7: Oral Questions

August 20th, 2007

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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are continuing to build houses in all of the regions through the affordable housing initiative. We don't build housing specifically for staff but we're building affordable housing that people can either rent...We also build public housing that people could continue to rent. Mr. Speaker, I can give the breakdown of where we are with the whole North Slave and possibly by community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Item 7: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty North Slave

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would these staff houses I'm referring to, those GNWT North Slave regional office being transferred to our region, specifically under staff housing, has the Department of the Executive been working with the Tlicho Community Services Agency? Are they working with the Behchoko Development Corporation, the community government of Behchoko? Where are they with that? I understand the regional director is working on it but I'd just like to get a feeling of how far we're at with that. Mahsi.

Supplementary To Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Item 7: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am sure that the regional director is working with the Behchoko leadership on this one. I'm not sure exactly what the Member is asking. When it comes to housing, then, yes, we definitely are working through the local housing authority, community services agency and also with the Behchoko government on that. Mr. Speaker, there are a number of units going into each of the communities. In Behchoko there are 33 units that will be going in there over the next couple of years. On office space, I'm not sure of any specific discussions that are happening on that front. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Supplementary To Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
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Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty North Slave

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, on the office space and also the accommodation for the staff that would be transferred to the community, I'm sure they will be needing some accommodations instead of commuting back and forth. As my colleague highlighted, the road is in bad shape so I don't think they will be commuting back and forth. Mr. Speaker, my final question to the Premier is, when could you provide that information to myself so I can sit down with my chiefs and move forward with this? Mahsi.

Supplementary To Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Item 7: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, I will undertake to have a report, an update to the Member, before the end of the month from the regional director on where we're at with the discussions on the transfer of positions, the creation of more job opportunities in Behchoko. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 163-15(6): Status Of Staff Housing Initiative In Behchoko
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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a couple of carefully crafted questions for Mr. McLeod, the Minister for Environment and Natural Resources. It concerns the very high profile debates and work that has gone, so far, into the plight of our caribou herds and our role as stewards of the caribou to see what we can do to better manage them. Mr. Speaker, we got into a jurisdictional dispute between our government and the Wekeezhii Renewable Resources Board over who has jurisdiction for allocating tags and harvest levels in Tlicho land. My question is, will the GNWT recognize the Wekeezhii board's claim to jurisdiction in allocating caribou harvest in the Tlicho region? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 164-15(6): Caribou Management Issues
Question 164-15(6): Caribou Management Issues
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Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for his carefully crafted question and I'll craft my answers accordingly. Mr. Speaker, we work with all aboriginal groups, all aboriginal governments and we respect and abide by all the land claim settlements and all the agreements that are out there, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 164-15(6): Caribou Management Issues
Question 164-15(6): Caribou Management Issues
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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 164-15(6): Caribou Management Issues
Question 164-15(6): Caribou Management Issues
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Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, $800,000 was allocated by this Assembly for additional work to conduct surveys to confirm, determine, and keep a much closer eye on the trends and circumstances that are affecting the health of the herd so we can make better management decisions. I would like to ask the Minister if he can advise, have those surveys been undertaken yet and what indicators, if any so far, are the caribou counters bringing back to us in terms of the health and the status of the herds? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 164-15(6): Caribou Management Issues
Question 164-15(6): Caribou Management Issues
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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 164-15(6): Caribou Management Issues
Question 164-15(6): Caribou Management Issues
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Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we don't have the results of the surveys that have been conducted. Some of them are still ongoing. The ones that have been done haven't been compiled and been provided to me. So I don't have that information and we don't expect we'll have all the information compiled until sometime later this fall. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 164-15(6): Caribou Management Issues
Question 164-15(6): Caribou Management Issues
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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 164-15(6): Caribou Management Issues
Question 164-15(6): Caribou Management Issues
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In Inuvik we participated in a number of workshops there over a couple of days. It was one of the more remarkable meetings that I've attended, Mr. Speaker, because of the unity and the consensus that was demonstrated there. Many, many different ideas and approaches were discussed about a very wide range of actions that could be undertaken by the GNWT, by aboriginal organizations, by hunters and trappers to help us do a better job of managing the resource. We talked about better education, better monitoring and reporting practices and, above all, collaborating. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister what other steps are we undertaking to do our part in better managing the caribou herds? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.