Debates of June 10th, 2008

This is page numbers 1059 to 1114 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 going.

Topics

Oral Questions

Prayer

Minister’s Statement 59-16(2) GNWT Energy Programs And Initiatives

Minister’s Statement 60-16(2) Scotland Exhibit

Minister’s Statement 61-16(2) WSCC Mine Rescue Competition

Northern Exploration Expertise Development In The Beaufort Sea

Environmentally Sound Modes Of Transportation

Return Of Service Bursary Program Recipients

Maintenance And Continuation Of The GNWT Business Incentive Policy

Equal Shared Parenting Rights

Homeless Support Services In Northern Communities

Condition Of The Mackenzie Valley Highway

Reducing The Cost Of Electricity In The North

Infrastructure And Services In Tu Nedhe

Condolences To The Pagotto And Jodrell Families

Question 299-16(2) Oil And Gas Development In The Beaufort-Delta

Question 300-16(2) Repayment Of Outstanding Return Of Service Bursaries

Question 301-16(2) Efficient Operation Of The NWT Power Corporation

Question 302-16(2) Support For Non-Resident Transients

Question 303-16(2) Transfer Of Responsibility From North To South Slave Regional Office

Question 304-16(2) Environmentally Friendly Modes Of Transportation

Question 305-16(2) Equal Shared Parenting

Question 306-16(2) Location Of The Arctic Research Institute

Question 307-16(2) Water Quality Standards

Question 308-16(2) Train Tracks On The Deh Cho Bridge

Question 21-16(2) Aboriginal Employment Statistics In Maca

Question 22-16(2) Return Of Service Bursaries

Bill 12 An Act To Amend The Human Rights Act

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Main Estimates 2008–2009 Department Of Education, Culture And Employment

Main Estimates 2008–2009 Department Of Industry, Tourism And Investment

Committee Motion 39-16(2) That The Department Of ITI Review Its Management Structure To Bring Senior Management Positions Into Proportion With Total Positions In The Department (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 40-16(2) That The Department Of ITI Review Organizational Structure To Ensure All Opportunities For Decentralization Are Maximized And Include This Initiative In Business Plans (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 41-16(2) That The Department Of ITI Develop A Strategy To Increase Aboriginal Employment In Management Positions And Include Strategy In Business Plans (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 42-16(2) To Reinstate $100,000 In Contribution Funding For The Diavik Socio-Economic Agreement Under The ITI Minerals And Resources Activity (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 43-16(2) Development Of A Strategy To Support Traditional Economies (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 44-16(2) To Defer Consideration Of The Operations Expenditures (Committee Motion Carried)

To Delete $1.5 Million From Tourism And Parks For Parks Renewal (Committee Motion Carried)

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 41-16(2) That The Department Of ITI Develop A Strategy To Increase Aboriginal Employment In Management Positions And Include Strategy In Business Plans (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I had my

hand up for page 10-21. Are we still there?

The Chair David Krutko

Is the committee agreed

to go back to 10-21?

Unanimous consent granted.

The Chair David Krutko

Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank

you, committee. My question is: could I get some further explanation as to the reduction of the Diavik Socio-Economic Agreement?

One of the complaints I hear on the street is: are they meeting up to their needs? To some degree I think they are, but my concern is the monitoring efforts of that.

I think it was a bold move last year when we were able to bring in the three diamond mines to have a talk with committee, and I thought that was very useful for information.

But I’m just curious: what will be lost, in the sense of the work being done, if we go from a budgeted item of $180,000 down to $76,000? I just want to

first make sure what’s being taken off the table and what will continue to be done to make sure that this job is being done properly.

The Chair David Krutko

Minister Bob McLeod.

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We are

in discussions with our partners with regard to the operation of the board. We are anticipating there will be some board changes, and we will be moving forward to try to accomplish the same results with fewer resources and fewer meetings.

I should point out that our partners have indicated that they will continue to fund at the same level as in 2008–2009 and provide $180,000.

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

If I understood the Minister correctly,

the portion provided by, in this particular case, Diavik is an equal amount of $180,000, historically.

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Historically we’ve cost-shared

on an equal basis, and we’re proposing to reduce our contribution.

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Maybe I’ll just put it this way, to the

keen eye of the Minister, that they keep close watch on this. It just seems like it’s strange that we’re cutting the fees almost in half — our fees, that is — and it sounds like at least our partners are keeping up their fees.

I would just hate to think that we now have the fox in charge of the henhouse here and we’ve walked away from our position by not showing interest in this particular case. So I would just want to make sure that the GNWT’s end is kept up and reaffirmed.

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

We will endeavour to do that.

The board is independent, and it has communities represented that were identified through the environmental impact process. We will maintain our continued commitment to this board.

The Chair David Krutko

Next on the list I have

Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d just like to

follow up on my colleague’s question there.

The GNWT contribution has dropped by $104,000 for the Diavik Socio-Economic Agreement. What are we not doing? What’s the sacrifice here, given that we’re contributing much less than half of what we have been annually, to date?

The Chair David Krutko

Minister of ITI.

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Our

expectation is that the board would need to either reduce its staff to part-time and/or eliminate

community representatives’ meetings, travel and honoraria or limit the number of meetings.

The parties to the SEA — and I said we were still under discussions — could also agree to redesign it so we would have annual or semi-annual meetings between the parties rather than more frequent meetings amongst parties’ community representatives.

Bob Bromley Weledeh

This is sounding of more concern

than I had realized. I believe I heard the Minister say “parties to the agreement.” There are discussions underway for basically streamlining here. Honoraria and so on: typically, these are things that go to community representatives and experts in these fields, so I am concerned. I wonder if the communities are supporting this reduction.

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

We’ve written to the board

advising them of this proposed reduction. Also, we’ve heard some feedback from Tlicho communities, expressing some concern about the operation of the board, but we haven’t had a chance to get a full meeting to discuss these different issues.

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you for that. I’m wondering:

what was the nature of the concerns of the Tlicho with the board?

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

The way I understood it and

the way it was expressed was that it was felt that representatives should be appointed by the Tlicho communities, and there was some indication that there should be more feedback and communication between the representatives and the communities.

Bob Bromley Weledeh

wonder if we could take a short

recess while I draft a motion here. Very short.

The Chair David Krutko

Okay. We’ll take a short

break while Mr. Bromley drafts a motion.

The Committee of the Whole took a short

recess.

The Chair David Krutko

I’ll call the committee

back to order. Mr. Bromley.

Committee Motion 42-16(2) To Reinstate $100,000 In Contribution Funding For The Diavik Socio-Economic Agreement Under The ITI Minerals And Resources Activity (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Bob Bromley Weledeh

I move that this committee strongly

recommends that the government take immediate action to reinstate contribution funding in the amount of $100,000 for the proposed reduction of funding for the Diavik Socio-Economic Agreement under the Department of Industry, Tourism and

Investment under the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Activity.

June 9th, 2008

The Chair David Krutko

Motion’s in order.

Motion’s being circulated. To the motion, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley Weledeh

I have to start by saying it is ironic

that we’ve been discussing a socio-economic agreement that the Minister is anxious to get underway and funded even before the project is started, yet here we are with a project having serious impacts in every community in the North Slave, and we’re backing out of it like crazy.

I am the first to agree and to state that this should be a full financial responsibility of industry, particularly when as a government we’re not getting the royalty revenues and so on. If we negotiate socio-economic agreements that fail to provide that, then obviously we have to pony up. In this case we have…. We did not negotiate that sort of agreement, so we have to participate. We made a commitment, and here we are backing out of it without the okay of the parties to the agreement, as far as I understand it. Discussions are underway. We have sent a letter suggesting that we’re going to back off in support of it, but we certainly haven’t, apparently, brought agreement to the table. So on that basis, as a responsible party, if we are going to make commitments for socio-economic agreements where these major impacts fall, we need to come through and fulfill those commitments. On that basis, I make this motion.

The Chair David Krutko

To the motion?

Debates of June 10th, 2008

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