Debates of June 3rd, 2008

This is page numbers 799 to 856 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

Oral Questions

Prayer

Minister’s Statement 48-16(2) Improving The GNWT Capital-Planning And Delivery Process

Minister’s Statement 49-16(2) Chief Albert Wright School Open

Minister’s Statement 50-16(2) Agreement For Utilization Of The Somba K’e Healing Lodge

Access To Housing Corporation Programs By Clients With Outstanding Arrears

Stanton Territorial Hospital Accumulated Deficit

Hay River Spring Breakup And Flooding

Folk On The Rocks Annual Music Festival

Provision Of Midwifery Services

Adherence To Negotiated Contracts Policy

Access To Education, Health And Social Services In Small Communities

Environment Week And Clean Air Day

Delays In Receiving Responses From Health And Social Services Minister

Capital-Planning And Delivery Process

Doctor Shortage In The Nunakput Constituency

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Acknowledgement 5-16(2) Elaine Doctor — Tulita

Question 240-16(2) Stanton Territorial Hospital Deficit

Question 241-16(2) Delays In Receiving Responses From Ministers

Question 242-16(2) Adherence To Negotiated Contracts Policies

Question 243-16(2) Culturally-Sensitive Social Workers And Social Work Policies

Question 244-16(2) Yellowknife Association Of Concerned Citizens For Seniors

Question 245-16(2) Western Harvesters Assistance Program

Question 246-16(2) Doctor Shortage In Nunakput Constituency

Question 247-16(2) Reductions Of Energy Costs And Consumption

Question 248-16(2) Devolution And Resource Revenue Sharing

Question 249-16(2) Programming At North Slave Correctional Centre

Question 250-16(2) Provision Of Midwifery Services

Bill 10 An Act To Amend The Pharmacy Act

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Main Estimates 2008–2009 NWT Housing Corporation

Committee Motion 25-16(2) To Assess And Develop A Strategy For Accessible Living Opportunities For Families That Include Persons With Disabilities (Committee Motion As Amended Carried)

Committee Motion 26-16(2) To Reinstate Funding Levels Consistent With Fiscal Year 2007–2008 For The Contributing Assistance For Residential Enhancements Program (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 27-16(2) To Reinstate The Elders On The Land Program Under Programs And District Operations (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 28-16(2) To Defer Further Consideration Of The Corporate Summary Of The NWT Housing Corporation (Committee Motion Carried)

Main Estimates 2008–2009 Department Of Health And Social Services

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 27-16(2) To Reinstate The Elders On The Land Program Under Programs And District Operations (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

An Honourable Member

Question.

The Chair Bob Bromley

Question has been called, and the Member has requested a recorded vote. All those in favour, please stand.

Principal Clerk Of Operations (Ms. Bennett)

Mr. Krutko,

Mr. Abernethy,

Mr. Menicoche,

Mr. Ramsay,

Mrs. Groenewegen,

Mr. Robert

McLeod, Mr. Jacobson, Mr. Beaulieu.

The Chair Bob Bromley

All those opposed, please stand.

All those abstaining, please stand.

Principal Clerk Of Operations (Ms. Bennett)

Ms. Bisaro, Mr. Lafferty, Ms. Lee, Mr. Miltenberger, Mr. Roland, Mr. Michael McLeod, Mr. Yakeleya, Mr. Bob McLeod.

The Chair Bob Bromley

Eight in favour, none opposed, eight abstentions. The motion is carried.

Motion carried.

The Chair Bob Bromley

Moving on, perhaps. Any further questions on Programs and District Operations, $2.177 million, page 2-160?

NWT Housing Corporation, Programs and

District Operations, Grants and Contributions: $2.177 million, approved.

The Chair Bob Bromley

Under Local Housing Organizations, page 2-163, $37.945 million. Questions? Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question relates to both 2-163 and 2-164, because the detail is on 2-164. But under Grants and Contributions the amount for ’08–09 is reduced from the amount in ’07–08, and it looks from the detail that it is almost $800,000 under the line for heating fuel. I wondered — considering the cost of fuel these days and considering the forced-growth amounts that have been indicated in just about every other department’s budget — how the Housing Corp expects local housing organizations to deal with the rising cost of fuel when this line item has gone down.

The Chair Bob Bromley

Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Chairman, we’ll be coming forward for a supplementary appropriation, we think in the neighbourhood of probably about $1 million, to offset rising fuel costs and the inflationary pressures that those fuel costs have in other areas as well.

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Any further questions? Mr. Robert McLeod.

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to ask the Minister and his officials…. The contribution to Local Housing Authorities is for the upkeep of rental housing. On the previous page, Rental Housing Programs, Maintenance and Improvement, $415,000 and $200,000

for mobile equipment…. I’d

like to ask the Minister: what’s the difference between the two? I would think it would be rolled into one.

The Chair Bob Bromley

Mr. Anderson.

Anderson

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under the Maintenance and Repairs line for local housing organizations, we’re really talking about ongoing preventative maintenance for our housing stock. We’ve also got some money — you’ll notice a slight increase in there — to try to entice some folks into our apprenticeship program through the local housing organizations. For the ones under Minor Capital, we give a contribution each year to the local housing organizations so they can build a fund to keep their equipment up to proper repair. In

addition to that, we also have our major capital and our infrastructure plan for major modernization improvement funding.

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

I’m not quite sure I understood that. The $37.945 million

that’s on page 2-163 — and I

was referencing the Rental Housing Programs on page 2-160…. I would have thought that it was just part of the same program, that it would just be rolled into the $37.945 million.

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. We’ve completed and moved on from page 2-160. So according to process, please restrict your questions to 2-162, 2-163, 2-164.

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

My questions are on 2-163. I just referenced a number on the previous page.

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There are separate budget areas. However, there’s nothing to preclude us from doing that, but it covers a very extensive list of things like bathroom hardware, fuel tanks and flooring. So it’s just trying to give enough detail on the accounting so you don’t have too many massive figures that are not clear enough.

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Anything further?

NWT Housing Corporation, Local Housing

Organizations, Operations Expenditure Summary: $37.945 million, approved.

The Chair Bob Bromley

We shall move on from page 2-163 to 2-164, Local Housing Organizations.

Questions?

NWT Housing Corporation, Local Housing

Organizations, Grants and Contributions: $37.945 million, approved.

The Chair Bob Bromley

We’ll move on to 2-165, Lease Commitments — Infrastructure. Any questions?

NWT Housing Corporation, Lease

Commitments — Infrastructure: $5.839 million, approved.

The Chair Bob Bromley

Moving to page 2-166, Infrastructure Investment Summary. Any questions?

NWT Housing Corporation, Infrastructure

Investment Summary: $163.683 million, approved.

The Chair Bob Bromley

Moving on to page 2-167, Infrastructure Acquisition Plan. Questions? Ms. Bisaro.

Debates of June 3rd, 2008

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