This is page numbers 1689 to 1732 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 school.

Topics

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

I realize we’ve had an unfortunate circumstance here, but I do want to say, too, that I have constituents who have received medical services through Capital Health Authority and thought that if they moved to Edmonton, they would get better service. They found out it was better to move back to the Northwest Territories, where they were given a priority status when receiving services at the U of A.

For the Minister’s information, the London, Ontario, and Edmonton, Alberta, university hospitals are the top two rated in Canada. I guess I’m just a little bit concerned that maybe with the rich economy in Alberta, they might decide to give us the heave-ho hearing a discussion like this. I mean, they’re very busy with their own people, and they have a lot of money in Alberta. It’s one of the richest provinces in Canada now.

I’d like to know: has there ever been any tone from the negotiations with the Capital Health Authority that maybe they’re just too busy to take us on?

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Minister of Health and Social Services

In light of the Member’s statement, I have to say I was quite surprised when I went to the FPT Health Ministers meeting to hear the Alberta Health Minister talking about the pressure on their system. They spend more money than anybody else in the country, but they have a growing population and a huge demand on services.

Obviously, the Minister took some drastic measures to address that. I don’t know the details of the government’s plan, but I took every opportunity I had to let him know of the importance of that Capital Authority and Alberta service in delivering health care services for the North. He’s well aware of it, and he assured me that if they were ever to

contemplate any changes, he would talk to and consult with us.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 9, written questions. Item 10, returns to written questions. Item 11, replies to opening address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Tabling of Documents

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled NWT Business Development and Investment Corporation 2006–2007 Annual Report.

Document 104-16(2), NWT Business

Development and Investment Corporation 2006–2007 Annual Report, tabled.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

I wish to table the following document entitled GNWT Response to Committee Report 3-16(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2006–2007 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Document 105-16(2), GNWT Response to

Committee Report 3-16(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2006–2007 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner, tabled.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, Minister’s Statement 80-16(2), Tabled Document 93-16(2), Bill 14, Bill 15, Bill 16 and Bill 17, 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

The Chair David Krutko

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, Minister’s Statement 80-16(2), Tabled Document 93-16(2), Bill 14, Bill 15, Bill 16 and Bill 17. 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

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe the wish of the committee is to continue on today with the capital acquisition document. I believe we’ll start off with the Legislative Assembly and then resume where we were on the list yesterday. I believe we’re going to ECE next.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Okay. Does committee agree?

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

The Chair David Krutko

With that, we’ll begin with the Legislative Assembly after a short break.

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

The Chair David Krutko

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. Prior to the break we agreed that we would begin with the Legislative Assembly.

Tabled Document 93-16(2): NWT Capital Estimates 2009–2010
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

At this time I would like to ask the Speaker if he would like to bring in his witnesses.

Tabled Document 93-16(2): NWT Capital Estimates 2009–2010
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

October 15th, 2008

Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Yes, I would, Mr. Chair.

Tabled Document 93-16(2): NWT Capital Estimates 2009–2010
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Is the committee agreed that he brings in his witnesses?

Tabled Document 93-16(2): NWT Capital Estimates 2009–2010
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Honourable Members

Agreed.

Tabled Document 93-16(2): NWT Capital Estimates 2009–2010
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Sergeant-at-Arms, will you escort the witnesses in.

Mr. Speaker, for the record could you introduce your witnesses, please.

Tabled Document 93-16(2): NWT Capital Estimates 2009–2010
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. With me on my left is the director of corporate services, Olin Lovely, and to my right is the Clerk of the Assembly, Tim Mercer.

Tabled Document 93-16(2): NWT Capital Estimates 2009–2010
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Welcome, witnesses.

Turn your attention to page 1-4 in regard to Capital Estimates 2009–2010, Office of the Clerk, Infrastructure Investment Summary, Total Infrastructure Investment Summary: $130,000. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Tabled Document 93-16(2): NWT Capital Estimates 2009–2010
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I had inquired previously, working in this building it’s hard not to notice the deteriorating condition, really, of the circle drive here and the walkways. I know there’s been a lot of money invested in those areas over the years, but it seems like they are forever sinking away. I was just wondering if it’s not to the point where some kind of almost emergency or immediate action is required to prevent the asphalt from getting worse. I’m curious about any future planned allocations in the Capital Budget for addressing the driveways and parking areas for the Legislative Assembly Building.

Tabled Document 93-16(2): NWT Capital Estimates 2009–2010
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Mr. Speaker.

Tabled Document 93-16(2): NWT Capital Estimates 2009–2010
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The condition of the road out there is certainly one that is in dire need of attention and one that I’ve been really interested in trying to get something done with. As the Member has indicated, it is almost at the emergency stage. We have been trying to do something with that road. We have a mere $75,000 to try and do some upkeep or patchwork on the road in the parking lot.

We have put in a submission for a capital project to do the entire road out there. Our project was not accepted. Some other projects with higher priority were accepted. It was turned down at the authorities level. We have, since then, instructions from the Board of Management to really take this project seriously and to say that it has to be done. We are coming forward with a submission to do the complete drive out there in the ’09–10 or ’10–11 budget year as a capital project.

Tabled Document 93-16(2): NWT Capital Estimates 2009–2010
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Is there an overall plan not just to repair what is there now, perhaps, but to look at additional parking out there as well? Now, I know a while back we put contractor parking in over here and so on, but it’s still disappointing to me in some ways that if we ever do have an event here…. We try to encourage the public to participate in activities that go on in this building. It is the people’s building, and it is always disappointing to me that the parking around this building becomes such an issue when there’s any event.

Now, I know there was an intention to try to preserve the integrity of the natural surroundings out here, the muskeg out front, but I’m wondering if as part of this overall plan for repairing the roads, there was any plan to add additional parking so we could have visitors to the Legislative Assembly without fear of them having their vehicles towed, because there’s no place for them to park.

Tabled Document 93-16(2): NWT Capital Estimates 2009–2010
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Yes, that is also part of the proposal that we’re going forward with. Along with the road reconstruction there are going to be an additional 21 parking stalls put on the north side of the road over here, and that’s all part of the same project. We have been working on that, looking at it for a number of years. There was at one point in the capital site talk about putting a courthouse in, and we were going to redesign our parking lot out there with some additional parking stalls. That hasn’t materialized, so we will now be going forward with 21 additional parking stalls when we do the road reconstruction.

Tabled Document 93-16(2): NWT Capital Estimates 2009–2010
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

I just want to say that I know there are a lot of pressures on our capital budget and there are priorities. I don’t want to make it sound like we’re thinking that the needs of the Legislative Assembly are greater than other people’s, but literally, there is such a dip in that driveway out there that I scold my daughter when

she’s picking me up, because she bottoms out our little car there in that hole. It scares me. It scrapes right on the bottom.

When the Speaker refers to this proposal being turned down at the authority level, just to be clear, is he talking about a committee of deputy ministers?