Moving on to page 6-37, Municipal and Community Affairs, regional operations, operations expenditure summary. Ms. Bisaro.
Debates of Feb. 15th, 2010
This is page numbers 4179 - 4230 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 4th 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 community.
Topics
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’ll try the question that I put quite some time ago. The review of the operations and maintenance funding model
for community governments, I gather that that has been done. I wondered if I could get some indication of what that review found and what implications it had for this budget. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Aumond
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The review of the O and M formula did not take place this fiscal year, so the formula applied again in 2010-11. The intention is to undertake the review with our partners at the NWTAC and LGANT in the 2010-11 fiscal year. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wondered, then, on what basis was the increase to community government funding based. The increase that’s in this budget, I presume? Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Aumond
The forced growth was based on the existing formula, the existing policy that we used to provide O and M funding to community governments. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake
Sorry; maybe it’s the late hour, but I’m a little obtuse. What forced growth? I mean, is there a percentage for that or is it based on forced growth with the GNWT? Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Aumond
It’s a formula base that takes into account factors such as the cost of utilities, population growth and so on and so forth. It’s set down in policy and as those factors change, the costing of those factors change and the formula that provides the O and M money that goes to communities changes as well. The same would apply to water and sewer. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. With respect to regional operations, I don’t really see the line item here or if it’s in here at all, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention summer student positions in the different regions. Actually, I don’t see it so it’s probably… I’m not too sure how it operates in the budget or is it an HR function to provide internships and summer student positions? Maybe the Minister can answer that. Thanks.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the regional offices will usually determine how many summer students that they might need and then they would just fund it themselves. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh
I just wanted to indicate to the Minister that, I think, previously we were using 1.5
summer students, but I think what worked well for my particular riding was the number two, so I just wanted to indicate that once again. Thank you very much.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
We were glad that we were able to have the two positions in the Member’s riding. If the regional office determines that that’s what they could use again, then I’m sure that’s what they’ll be doing. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Bob Bromley Weledeh
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just looking at the cost of operations and maintenance and capital investment planning and so forth in this division, many of the things are energy related, ultimately, and I know Arctic Energy Alliance, in their attempts to assist with community energy plans, have hit a bump in the road when they try to collect fuel consumption information. I know this is collected routinely by MACA annually from service providers and from community governments, and I believe the plan was that they were to provide this information to the Arctic Energy Alliance to assist with the community energy planning. I’d just like to get some sort of confirmation that that, indeed, has happened and is in the process. I know that this was a sticky point for the Arctic Energy Alliance. Their mandate was to assist these communities developing their community energy plans. They received funding from MACA to help with that and so on and yet they were stymied with the lack of information. So I’m just wondering if we’re there and if that’s been looked after by the department. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Aumond
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don’t know specifically whether they requested the information from MACA or not, but if they did there’s no reason why we wouldn’t provide it to them and I do know that maybe the Member was referring to information that they were maybe looking from another department with respect to fuel consumption in the communities, but anything the Arctic Energy Alliance would request of MACA we would provide to them. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
The Chair David Krutko
Just again, you mentioned you had that document with a list of communities that have done the study. Is there a chance you could give that to the Clerk so we can maybe circulate it? I think we’re talking about the same thing here. So that information might be helpful to the Members. Mr. Bromley.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Bob Bromley Weledeh
Thank you, Mr. Chair, that’s fine. I’ll follow up with the Minister and provide him with the backup I have and he can set things straight in my mind and hopefully things have been resolved. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
The Chair David Krutko
Okay, we’re on page 6-37, Municipal and Community Affairs, activity summary, regional operations, operations expenditure summary, $71.943 million. Agreed?
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.