This is page numbers 1921 to 1954 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 3rd 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 honourable.

Topics

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, given the situation that we are becoming more and more reliant on the export economy — diamonds and oil and gas — what’s the expectation of the Premier, having heard the situation on the market again this morning getting quite serious: global concerns and national concerns about recession…? What’s the expectation in terms of the diamond industry and the oil and gas industry for the Northwest Territories?

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Premier

Mr. Speaker, we had an opportunity to meet with the presidents of the diamond mines over a week ago to touch base with them and look at setting up a cooperative agreement on further initiatives we can jointly work on; for example, establishing the workforce in the Northwest Territories by reducing the fly in/fly out component, looking at additional training areas. That’s something we’re working on.

The other area with the mines that they’ve shared with us is that the cost of fuel has a big impact. They’ve been watching the markets and shared with us their concerns. We know, as well, the rate of return that some of the oil and gas areas of development are producing right now; there’d be an impact with that. That would mainly be felt, along with the federal government, on the royalties side as well as by the companies themselves. We’ve been working with the industry and, again from our side specifically, working through the Department of Finance to look at our numbers to ensure we’re still in a healthy situation.

I must remind Members that during the budget we had in June, we talked about the dangers that were potentially out there — that we must look to living within our means. That was the budget we presented to Members, and the Finance Minister is continuing along that path.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you for those comments from the Premier. I know that our public is acutely aware of this issue and also acutely concerned.

We apparently purchased fuel near the peak of the cost — the bump we went through — to resupply our communities. There’s a potential for some serious downturns in our industries. Will this government be preparing a thorough update and response to this, at least for discussion in the business plans or certainly at our next session?

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Premier

Mr. Speaker, as we go through our process, first and foremost between me and the Finance Minister, we’ll be making presentations to the standing committees as we go

into the business plan process. Following that, departments themselves, specifically as the Member has touched on…. On the petroleum side the Department of Public Works and Services would have all the information on how they’ve had to deal with the pressures they’ve had to look at.

Part of the problem — and the Member has touched on it, in a sense — is that when we purchase our product, we are purchasing it off the market. At the point when it was delivered to our communities, the prices were significantly higher than they are now. We won’t be able to adjust those until the next refuelling cycle, which in some communities may be through winter roads and in other communities the next barging season. That’s the difficulty the Department of Public Works and Services’ Petroleum Products Division faces when it comes to providing a level of service in our communities. But that will all be available to Members when we sit down and go through the process in the next business planning cycle.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate those comments from the Minister. This, again, is a very serious issue.

I’d just like to note that the Yukon will be holding round table meetings with various associations, such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Yukon Communities and so on, so it’s not just an internal process. Will the Premier commit to including a public process where our residents can participate in a response to this situation as required?

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Premier

Mr. Speaker, a number of departments have functions established that allow for public input. I know that within the Department of ITI the Minister responsible has an economic table advisory group that he can go to in these times. The Minister of Finance has gone out with a discussion paper about revenue options and got much feedback about that. Much of the feedback is coming as of late with the impacts that are being felt by individuals and companies as a result of the economic turmoil we are facing globally.

Myself, I have met with, for example, the president of the NWT Chamber, the president of the NWT mines, and the Construction Association on a number of occasions, and we’ll continue to use that avenue again to get more feedback about the work we are doing as the Government of Northwest Territories.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 18, first reading of bills. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Historical Resources Act, be read for the first time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Bill 1 has had first reading.

Motion carried; Bill 1, An Act to Amend the

Historical Resources Act, read a first time.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 2, Settlement of International Investment Disputes Act, be read for the first time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Bill 2 has had first reading.

Motion carried; Bill 2, Settlement of

International Investment Disputes Act, read a first time.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 3, International Interest in Mobile Aircraft Equipment Act, be read for the first time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Bill 3 has had first reading.

Motion carried; Bill 3, International Interest in

Mobile Aircraft Equipment Act, read a first time.

Bill 4 Public Library Act
First Reading of Bills

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 4, Public Library Act, be read for the first time.

Bill 4 Public Library Act
First Reading of Bills

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Bill 4 has had first reading.

Motion carried; Bill 4, Public Library Act, read

a first time.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik

Boot Lake, that Bill 5, Professional Corporations Act, be read for the first time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Bill 5 has had first reading.

Motion carried; Bill 5, Professional

Corporations Act, read a first time.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 6, Species at Risk (NWT) Act, be read for the first time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Bill 6 has had first reading.

Motion carried; Bill 6, Species at Risk (NWT)

Act, read a first time.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the first time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Bill 7 has had first reading.

Motion carried; Bill 7, An Act to Amend the

Student Financial Assistance Act, read a first time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Item 19, second reading of bills. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to proceed with second reading of Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Historical Resources Act.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

The Member is seeking consent to give second reading to Bill 1. Are there any nays?