Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Legal Profession Act, has had first reading.
Motion carried; Bill 13, An Act to Amend the
Legal Profession Act, read a first time.
Debates of June 16th, 2008
This is page numbers 1300 to 1342 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 2nd 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
Bill 14 An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act
First Reading of Bills
Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake
Mr.
Speaker, I move,
seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 14, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, be read for the first time.
Bill 14 An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act
First Reading of Bills
The Speaker Paul Delorey
Bill 14 has had first reading.
Motion carried; Bill 14, An Act to Amend the
Income Tax Act, read a first time.
Bill 15 An Act To Amend The Workers’ Compensation Act
First Reading of Bills
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 15, An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act, be read for the first time.
Bill 15 An Act To Amend The Workers’ Compensation Act
First Reading of Bills
The Speaker Paul Delorey
Bill 15 has had first reading.
Motion carried; Bill 15, An Act to Amend the
Workers’ Compensation Act, read a first time.
Bill 16 Write-Off Of Debts Act, 2008–2009
First Reading of Bills
Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake
Mr.
Speaker, I move,
seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 16, Write-off of Debts Act, 2008–2009, be read for the first time.
Bill 16 Write-Off Of Debts Act, 2008–2009
First Reading of Bills
The Speaker Paul Delorey
Bill 16 has had first reading.
Motion carried; Bill 16, Write-off of Debts Act,
2008–2009, read a first time.
Bill 17 Forgiveness Of Debts Act, 2008–2009
First Reading of Bills
Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake
Mr.
Speaker, I move,
seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 17, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2008–2009, be read for the first time.
Bill 17 Forgiveness Of Debts Act, 2008–2009
First Reading of Bills
The Speaker Paul Delorey
Bill 17 has had first reading.
Motion carried; Bill 17, Forgiveness of Debts
Act, 2008–2009, read a first time.
Bill 17 Forgiveness Of Debts Act, 2008–2009
First Reading of Bills
The Speaker Paul Delorey
Item 19, second reading of bills. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat, Mr. Roland.
Bill 9 Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2007–2008
Second Reading of Bills
Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake
Mr.
Speaker, I move,
seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 9, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2007–2008, be read for the second time.
Mr.
Speaker, this bill makes supplementary
appropriations for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2007–2008 fiscal year.
Bill 9 Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2007–2008
Second Reading of Bills
The Speaker Paul Delorey
Bill 9, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2007–2008, has had second reading.
Motion carried; Bill 9, Supplementary
Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2007–2008, read a second time and referred to Committee of the Whole.
Bill 9 Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 4, 2007–2008
Second Reading of Bills
The Speaker Paul Delorey
Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, Bill 8, Bill 11, Bill 12, Committee Reports 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Tabled Document 37-16(2), Minister’s Statement 62-16(2), with Mr. Krutko in the chair.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair David Krutko
I call the Committee of the Whole to order.
Some items to deal with today: Bill 8, Bill 11, Bill 12, Committee Reports 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Tabled Document 37-16(2), Minister’s Statement 62-16(2), and Bill 9. What is the wish of the committee? Mrs. Groenewegen.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Jane Groenewegen Hay River South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee would like to deal with the Legislative Assembly’s Main Estimates, Bills 9 and 11, and Committee Reports 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, please.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Some Honourable Members
Agreed.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair David Krutko
Okay. With that, we’ll take a short break and begin with the Legislative Assembly.
The Committee of the Whole took a short
recess.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair David Krutko
I’d like to call the Committee of the Whole back to order. Prior to the adjournment we all agreed that we’ll begin this round with the Legislative Assembly.
Main Estimates 2008–2009 Legislative Assembly
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair David Krutko
With that, I’d like to call on the Speaker to make a presentation in regard to the estimates for the Legislative Assembly. With that, Speaker Delorey.
Main Estimates 2008–2009 Legislative Assembly
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
June 15th, 2008
Paul Delorey Hay River North
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m pleased to present the 2008–2009 estimates for the Legislative Assembly.
As Members know, the Assembly’s Main Estimates are drafted and considered by the Board of Management as opposed to the Financial Management Board. As an independent branch of government, the Legislative Assembly is not bound to implement the fiscal policy of the government
with respect to planned expenditure reductions. This being said, it has been the practice of the board in recent years to make every possible effort to implement expenditure reductions for the Assembly when these have been required across government. This year is no exception.
In applying roughly the same methodology to its budget as the Financial Management Board applies to the departments, the board identified a two-year target expenditure reduction of $675,000. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to report that the Board of Management has fully met this target. The vast majority of the necessary reductions are included in the 2008–2009 estimates before you for consideration.
Mr. Chairman, the 2008–2009 Main Estimates for the Legislative Assembly include a target reduction of $542,000, the largest component being a $200,000 reduction to the constituency work expense budgets for individual MLAs. The board is aware this measure will put added strain on Members, particularly those who use the majority of their budgets to hire constituency assistants. Nevertheless, the board felt, and Members have agreed, that leadership by example is important in the current fiscal environment. This is a small reduction in the larger scheme of things, but an important symbolic measure.
Mr.
Chairman, the reductions include the
elimination of two vacant staff positions: one at the Legislative Assembly branch library, and a second at Elections NWT. They also include a $102,000 reduction to the budget for the standing committees, reductions to Members’ capital accommodations and telecommunications budgets, the elimination of the Cultural Enhancement Commission, and a reduction in the number of community visits under the Speakers’ outreach program from two to one.
Mr.
Chair, the Assembly’s reduction target has
been achieved in the face of significant forced-growth pressure in some of our contractor costs, most notably our Hansard contract. Increased utility costs and new initiatives, such as our broadcasting solution, the enhanced Page Program, the Members’ constituency travel fund, and costs associated with the Human Rights Commission and the adjudication panel have also been addressed.
Mr. Chair, this year marks the first time we have sought direct input from our statutory board and agencies on their budgets. We reviewed written and in-person presentations from the Chief Electoral Officer, the Human Rights Commission, the Human Rights Adjudication Panel, the office of the Languages Commissioner, and the Information and Privacy Commissioner regarding their budgetary needs. I feel this direct input will allow a higher level of responsiveness to budgetary needs of our
statutory officers without impacting their independence.
Mr. Chair, it’s not often I get to speak to issues in this House, so I want to take a moment while I have the floor to focus attention on a few important initiatives we have implemented in recent years.
Mr. Chair, as we speak, the proceedings of this Assembly are being broadcast and rebroadcast in 25 of our 33 communities, both live and throughout the evening.
By the end of the summer, an additional four communities will be added to the system, with a target of all 33 communities by next summer. In October of this year we will begin community-specific broadcasts and rebroadcasts in all of our official languages. Phase 2 of the broadcast solution involves expanding our programming to include standing committee meetings and other public affairs programming of interest to Northerners.
I want to recognize the efforts of Brian Thagard, Patricia Russell, Danielle O’Neill and Ella Mawdsley for their outstanding work in testing, implementing and monitoring this complex and exciting initiative.
Applause.
Main Estimates 2008–2009 Legislative Assembly
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Paul Delorey Hay River North
Mr. Chair, I am pleased to report that no reductions will be made to our popular and well-attended Youth Parliament. This year’s Youth Parliament focused on language-preservation issues, and as always, our youth did us proud in this Chamber. We will be rebroadcasting their proceedings throughout the summer.
Mr. Chair, I am pleased to report that I will continue to travel to at least one small community a year with our Mace to allow youth and residents who do not normally get to visit the capital to get a sense of the work we do in this Chamber.
Last year, Mr. Chair, the Commissioner and I, the Clerk, the Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms, the public affairs and communications coordinator and the Speaker’s assistant visited the community of Sachs Harbour. Mr. Chair, this was the first time our Mace has travelled north of the Arctic Circle and across the Arctic Ocean to Banks Island. It was an honour and a privilege to be part of this historic occasion. Watching the looks on the faces of the youth, elders and residents of Sachs Harbour as they were observing our Mace up close confirms to me the value of this initiative. Mayor Robert Eldridge
and
the elders of Sachs Harbour played great hosts to us, and the youth played a great volleyball game against us. This year we hope to visit a community in the Nahendeh riding.
Mr. Chair, I am pleased to announce that our self-guided tour system is now operational and available in nine of our official languages. Residents and visitors can now take a tour of this impressive and symbolic institution, in the language and timing of their choice, using iPod nano technology.
Finally, Mr. Chair, Members should have already taken notice of an increased number of pages serving us from constituencies throughout the Northwest Territories. This year marks the beginning of a new initiative that will see the Legislative Assembly sponsor up to four pages a year from each Member’s constituency to travel to Yellowknife to serve us in the House. The quality of the service we have received from these pages thus far has been excellent, and I wish to thank them for their assistance.
Applause.
Main Estimates 2008–2009 Legislative Assembly
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Paul Delorey Hay River North
I also want to thank Brian Thagard, Donna Friesen, Lynda Comerford, Derek Edjericon and Bryn Herbert for coordinating and implementing this great new initiative.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my opening remarks. I will now be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Main Estimates 2008–2009 Legislative Assembly
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair David Krutko
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this time I’d like to ask the Speaker if he will be bringing in witnesses. Mr. Speaker.
Main Estimates 2008–2009 Legislative Assembly
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters