Thank you,

Mr. Krutko. To the motion.Question is being called. A recorded vote has been requested. All those in favour, please stand.

All those opposed, please stand.

All those abstaining, please stand.

The results of the recorded vote on the motion are eight in favour, one against, and seven abstaining.

Motion carried.

We’re on page 4-19, Activities Summary, Community Operations, Operations Expenditures: 7.864 million. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to ask the Minister: what sort of monitoring is in place that assures us the New Deal is working successfully? I’ve heard that the infrastructure projects that are being undertaken are successful. I’m wondering what mechanisms are in place to document that sort of thing and, as well, of course, success in the financial planning area, health and safety, climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Thank you,

Mr. Bromley. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess the biggest indicator we use for monitoring is the feedback we get from the community governments. So far, most of the feedback we have had been positive. We’re not getting very many complaints.

We do provide monitoring for all our communities. And we, first of all, of course, look at the audits that the communities provide. We look at the financial trends. We have staff who work with the communities on capital. We have our energy

coordinator and other staff working on the integrated community sustainability plan. All those things packaged together give us a pretty good snapshot of where and how the communities are doing.

I know those mechanisms or systems are in place out there. I want to make sure that somebody’s actually monitoring that and have the Minister assure us that all of those are positive trends.

Mr. Chairman, we have regional superintendents in all the regions and are monitoring whether we use all these tools at our disposal.

We also, I should add, Mr. Chairman, have a very good relationship with the LGANT group, the local government administrators of the Northwest Territories. They have provided us very good feedback on some of the challenges different communities are facing. Things have been very good with them also.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. We’re on page 4-19, Activities Summary, Community Operations, Operations Expenditure Summary: $7.864 million.

Department of Municipal and Community

Affairs, Activity Summary, Community Operations, Operations Expenditure Summary: $7.864 million, approved.

Moving along to page 4-21, Activity Summary, Community Operations, Grants and Contributions, Grants: $350,000; Contributions: $4.667 million; Total Grants and Contributions: $5.017 million. Mr. Krutko.

Again, you know, under Dust Control, there was a program I mentioned earlier in regard to the main street chipseal that I believe was last year. I’ll just ask again: is there a possibility of us looking at an alternative for dust control and trying to get some money in there? It is an issue for communities to have to deal with.

I know you’re saying: Well, let them take it out of their tax money. But when you have a small population, like in the case of Tsiigehtchic — 170 people — the amount of money you get for that in regard to the federal taxes you get by way of gas tax — it ain’t going to do much in dealing with that problem.

I’d like to ask the Minister: are you willing to look at the possibility of, either through the business plans coming up next fall or whatever, looking at that item of dust control? It’s listed here, but again, there are no dollars in there. I think it is an issue for our

smaller communities. We can’t leave it to the smaller communities to deal with.

There was a motion that was passed in this Legislative Assembly by way of the 14th Assembly,

as one of the recommendations that came out of that special committee. I think that, sure, we have some budgetary restraints, but we also have to deal with the health issues in our communities. One of the major aspects in communities is dealing with the issue of dust control.

I'd just like to ask the Minister: are you open to working with the other colleagues and Members on this side of the House to look at such an issue?

Thank you,

Mr. Krutko. Minister McLeod.

Mr.

Chairman, I had

indicated earlier that the chipseal program had been rolled into the capital for the communities. Each community has the option of going with whatever type of dust suppression they'd like to go with. A number of communities have indicated that chipseal is not something they want to have in their community, not because it's not a good dust suppressant but because of the O&M costs on it.

We really worked hard with the federal government when we negotiated the gas tax funding. We were successful in having them give us the flexibility for our communities to apply those dollars also for community dust control. So there are a number of avenues already in place for communities to utilize funding.

MACA does not have a capital budget right now except for what was being carried over. It would be a challenge for us to put something new of that nature in place without pulling back from what the communities already have in their budgets.

Tsiigehtchic, as the Member mentioned, has a fairly good budget. Their budget is a little over $2 million a year, and that’s a significant increase. We would certainly work with other departments and the community if they wanted to talk about dust control. Look at the analysis that we’ve already done. We know what is the best type of suppressant that should be utilized in all our communities. We’ve done the analysis on the types of soils. We'd certainly be happy to sit down and talk to them about it.

Mr. Chair, that’s exactly my point. You have the expertise. You have the surveys. You’ve done the research. Why should the communities start all over again and have to invest their own money to start from ground zero? We already have a lot of those reports in place. That’s why I think it’s important that you do keep some expertise either in

this area or give it to Transportation, whoever. But at least retain that in the Government of the Northwest Territories’ budget by way of MACA or whoever else. I think the expertise that’s going to be needed — the research reports, the soil samples, whatever — is already there. Let’s maintain some presence in that area so that communities can be able to access this government to seriously look at that.

Again, I’d just like to ask the Minister if he would seriously reconsider looking at some sort of a presence by way of dust control. We can’t do it in this budget unless we delete something and add to it, but I think it’s important that we do have some resources in that area so we can assist communities with that item.

Mr. Chairman, I certainly agree we shouldn’t be getting rid of any expertise we have in this area. We don’t plan to.

The program still can be applied. Each community has the ability to do so. Our capital planners are still available to work with the communities. We don’t intend to change that. DOT still has the expertise to apply the product. In fact, the amount of money in this area has increased, if anything, because now we can utilize the gas tax money to do some of the chipseal.

If the Member would like us to meet with his community to talk about a program and start planning for it, we’d be happy to do so.

As for me, I’d just as soon have the government reinstate the Main Street Chipseal Program. At least it’s there. People can apply for it. There are matching funds, or we can access federal infrastructure dollars. That’s more power to the communities. I think that eliminating a program that didn’t even get a chance to get off the ground — I mean, it has improved the quality of life in those communities that have been able to implement it.

Mr. Chair, I’d like to move a motion.

Thank you,

Mr. Krutko. Go ahead.

The motion is on the floor and is being distributed now. Thank you. The

motion has been distributed. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Krutko.