Good afternoon, colleagues. Colleagues, before we begin, I wish to provide my ruling on the point of privilege raised in the House last Friday by Mr. Miltenberger. As Members know, the responsibility of the Speaker when a point of privilege has been raised is to determine whether, at first sight, a case of privilege has been established and that the matter has been raised at the first possible opportunity.

To start, I will quote Mr. Miltenberger’s point of privilege in its entirety from page 24 of the unedited Hansard for February 12, 2010, as it is relatively short: “Mr. Speaker, we have an understanding that we have confidential briefings with committee. We share information. It should be respected. The Member is clearly aware that there are processes and negotiations underway. This information was shared last night, yesterday morning and Tuesday night. My point of privilege is that by disclosing the specifics, the scenarios and all the various things that we are trying to talk about as we try to resolve this issue are bringing forward into a public forum from a confidential forum, information that was agreed to be kept confidential until we concluded our arrangements. Thank you.”

Colleagues, our rules do not exhaustively lay out the collective and individual privileges of the House. Rule 19(6), however, does provide some guidance. The rule states: “unless otherwise directed by the Assembly, it is not a breach of privilege for a Member of a standing or special committee to discuss with other Members of the Assembly, on a confidential basis, matters that are under consideration by a committee.” This rule would appear to imply that discussing confidential matters in any other way could constitute a breach of privilege.

Other parliamentary authorities support this conclusion. Citation 850 of Beauchesne’s Parliamentary Rules and Forms (6th Edition) states that “a committee, having the right to exclude strangers at any time, has the right to sit in private

and have its proceedings protected by privilege.” Citation 851 goes on to say that “when a committee chooses to meet in camera, all matters are confidential. Any departure from strict confidentiality should be by explicit committee decision which should deal with what matters should be published, in which forum and by whom.” Further, O’Brien and Bosc, on pages 1077-78 of House of Commons Practice and Procedure, Second Edition, states that “divulging any part of the proceedings of an in camera committee meeting has been ruled by the Speaker to constitute a prima facie matter of privilege.“

It is quite clear, Members, that when an unauthorized breach of committee confidentiality has been established, the House may deal with it as a matter of privilege. The question before me is whether a breach of confidentiality has been established. Making a determination on this is complicated by the fact that I do not, nor should I, attend committee meetings. It is also complicated by the fact that a press release was issued on this matter that made public at least some of the information that was shared with the committee in camera. Mr. Krutko was helpful in pointing this out in speaking to the point of privilege and I thank him for that.

It appears to me that Minister Michael McLeod, on his own initiative, scheduled an urgent briefing with standing committee to provide Members with the most up-to-date information on the status of the Deh Cho Bridge Project. He made it clear that sensitive negotiations were underway with both a new contractor and the project's lenders and that the information that was being provided to committee was confidential as a result of these ongoing negotiations. While the Minister did provide some of the details on the status of the bridge project in a media release issued last Friday, he also noted that negotiations between the parties continued. Although no one in debate made specific reference to this, it seems that the point of privilege was brought about by the mentioning of a specific piece of information that was not mentioned publicly in the media release. Again, I was not present at the briefing and have no knowledge of what information was or was not provided. I am, however, persuaded by the interventions of Minister Miltenberger, Minister Michael McLeod and MLA

Hawkins, each of whom I assume was in attendance at the full in-camera briefing. Other than Mr. Krutko’s above-mentioned intervention, no other Member who was present at the meeting provided a different account. On page 26 of the unedited Hansard, Mr. Hawkins, in speaking to the point of privilege, stated, “I think today is another example of where consensus government isn’t working, yet it’s supposed to be the principles of how we share and work together. I don’t think stating a ballpark number or an actual number does anything to our process but destroy it.”

Members have several times in this session made reference to the principles of consensus government that were adopted by Caucus last year. I'm glad to hear this as I thought for a while that all the hard and honest discussion that went into agreeing to these principles may have been lost. These principles clearly define what it means to "do" government in our consensus system. They define how we are unique. Principle number four talks about the “double-edged nature” of the dialogue we enjoy in our system between Cabinet and committees. Committees and Regular Members enjoy far more access to sensitive information and have greater opportunity to influence public policy in our system than in any other. This open and honest exchange of information is what makes our consensus system stand out. It is why Members consistently show very strong support for how we do business here, often in the face of public criticism and calls for fundamental change. As principle number four suggests, however, this sharing of information comes with great responsibility. If Members want to be kept up to speed on sensitive matters as they develop, they must agree to keep information confidential until it is properly ready for release. Failure to do so breaks the bargain that we have all agreed to.

Minister Michael McLeod, in my view, met the standard that Members have consistently called for when he came forward and shared highly sensitive information with committee in an open, timely, straightforward, yet confidential manner. This is what Members seem to consistently call for and it would appear that the Minister, to his credit, met the standard. In making reference to specific pieces of information from that briefing that were not intended for release to the public, the bargain was broken. I find that a prima facie matter of parliamentary privilege has been established in this instance and that the matter was raised at the earliest possible opportunity. My duty done, it is now up to the House to determine how to proceed.

Colleagues, before I proceed, I want to comment on the recent surge of points of privilege and order in the House. Whenever I am asked to rule on a matter, the appearance of winners and losers is created. This is not a game, however, and there is

no scorecard. Our rules are in place to help us debate the important matters before us in a respectful, dignified and efficient manner. The rules of the House are a means to this end. They are not an end unto themselves. When Members consistently use provocative and accusatory language and others respond by raising points of order or privilege, we have entered into a "race to the bottom" and lose sight of what we are really here to do. Consensus government is not intended to be tame or absent of heated debate. It should, however, take on a tone that reflects the importance and gravity of the issues before this House as opposed to the “showmanship” we often see in other Legislatures. If nothing else, the tone should be dignified, even in times of high emotion and fundamental disagreement. As we move forward from today, I urge you all to recommit yourselves to the principles of consensus government that we agreed to last year. If Members collectively tone down the rhetoric a notch or two, and thicken our skins a little, I am confident that we can get back to serving the people of the Northwest Territories in a manner that will reflect positively on this institution. The public expect to see us debate issues that make a difference in their daily lives. I don't believe parliamentary procedure is one of these issues. It rests with you. As your Speaker, I will, of course, continue to apply your rules in as fair and objective a manner as I am able. Thank you, Members.

Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce the introduction of the Government of the Northwest Territories new youth website, proud2bnwt.ca.

The website offers a single window for NWT youth seeking information about GNWT programs and services to help them identify supportive programming options. The site showcases positive youth role models and increases two-way communications with program and service providers.

Mr. Speaker, proud2bnwt is designed by youth for youth. Through a series of focus groups with students from Aurora College and youth from across the NWT, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs was able to create a tool that provides information that youth feel is important. Youth were also instrumental in the “look and feel” of the site, including choosing the name of the website.

Final completion of the site was accomplished through a highly collaborative effort between GNWT departments to ensure the site receives timely, relevant updates that youth can rely on for information to lead to healthy choices and lifestyles.

For professionals working with youth, the site offers links to available funding, programming and information on events and training to ensure youth from all communities receive access to these opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, our 40 youth ambassadors and 21 traditional games participants are providing updates on their unique experiences through proud2bnwt. I expect these reports to be nothing less that inspiring and I encourage all my colleagues to follow NWT youth on proud2bnwt during the games.

The GNWT’s investment in proud2bnwt is the latest way the GNWT is showing its commitment to one of our most valuable assets: our youth. Our youth are our future leaders. We need to provide them with the support and opportunities they need to reach their full potential. This website makes it easier for NWT youth to find the information and support they need to achieve their goals.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to take a moment to explore this exciting new information portal at

www.proud2bnwt.ca

. I would also like to

thank my colleagues in this Assembly for their continued support and look forward to building on our early success. Thank you, Mr .Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Human Resources, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, the Summer Student Employment Program is a crucial part of this government’s commitment towards the people of the North and the development of a skilled and knowledgeable northern workforce. The 2010 Summer Student Employment Program is underway and applications for summer student employment are being accepted.

I ask all Members, residents and parents that if they are aware of any students seeking summer employment, to encourage them to register as early as possible with the Department of Human Resources at

[email protected]

.

Mr. Speaker, each year the Government of the Northwest Territories hires hundreds of post-secondary students through the Summer Student Employment Program. This program assists northern students in acquiring work experience relevant to their field of study. It also provides students an opportunity to gain valuable work

experience and insight into government as they discover a career path, demonstrate their cutting edge skills and enhance their personal goals.

The government benefits from the ability to develop potential future employees and showcase the opportunities available through a career in the public service.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Human Resources started the advertisement campaign in December 2009 and has been working with client departments to ensure success with this year’s program. Applications for summer student employment began being accepted on December 1, 2009.

This past summer, the Summer Student Employment Program was very successful; 347 students were hired through the program in 2009, compared to 282 in 2008, for an increase of over 23 percent from the previous summer. Almost 40 percent of those hired were northern aboriginal students.

Mr. Speaker, exit surveys indicate the vast majority of summer students found their experiences with the public service to be valuable and would recommend the Government of the Northwest Territories as an employer. Students are already submitting applications for next summer and the program appears to be as popular as ever.

In keeping with the department’s strategic goal of fixing the foundation and stabilizing service delivery, I have asked the Department of Human Resources to make a number of enhancements to the Summer Student Employment Program.

The department is taking an active role in guiding managers in the recruitment and hiring of summer students to ensure that established policies and procedures are followed consistently. Training sessions and presentations are taking place for managers across the Government of the Northwest Territories to ensure the hiring procedures are communicated to all departments, board and agencies.

Mr. Speaker, the Summer Student Employment Program is a significant factor in the development of a skilled northern workforce and part of the broader strategy of Maximizing Northern Employment. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to mention that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has new funding recently announced in the budget for $350,000. This funding will provide wage subsidies to employers for youth aged 15 to 29 years in small communities to gain work experience to acquire the skills that lead to increased self-reliance. Summer employment provides opportunities to students from around the North to gain valuable work experience and to participate in matters of public importance.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, the Department of Human Resources will continue to work with the

departments, boards and agencies to find new and better ways of providing such opportunities to students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to bring the attention of the House to some of the cost overruns on previous projects in the Northwest Territories. One that comes to mind, Mr. Speaker, is the northern corrections facility which was started off with an estimated $28 million. Mr. Speaker, after major increases to the cost of the project, the final total came in at $49 million, which is double the cost of the original estimate.

Mr. Speaker, another project that comes to mind is the Inuvik Hospital which started off at $24 million and after all is said and done, the completed cost was $45.5 million. Again, double the cost.

Mr. Speaker, infrastructure in the North is a challenge we have to face regardless of the economic and the logistical challenges we face. As a government, back then Class D estimates was a lot of times the way we went. A lot of times we underestimated these projects, but I believe the government has now made a decision to make it mandatory to come forward with a Class C estimate. Again, hopefully that improves our prices. Mr. Speaker, in light of the discussion around the Deh Cho Bridge, I want to make it clear to the public that I do support the Deh Cho Bridge. For $15 million, we should get the project done.

Mr. Speaker, talking about bridges, another bridge that comes to mind is the Bear River Bridge. The original estimate was $25 million. That project went out to a request for proposals and came in at $45 million; again doubling in cost. Now the latest estimate is $60 million for the Bear River Bridge.

Mr. Speaker, realistically, bridges are a costly endeavour. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to illustrate to the public that we have had these situations in the past and I don’t think the Deh Cho Bridge is going to be the last of them. We do have some major projects on the books. There’s the $100 million school in Inuvik, the school being built in Fort Good Hope and other big projects out there right now. Again, as government and being responsible for the public purse, we have to do a

better job of assessing, evaluating and getting the best return on the dollar we spend. With that, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking questions of the Minister responsible for infrastructure on this matter later. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker Today I would like to talk about our small and remote communities and their need to have access to professional health and wellness programming and staff.

During my most recent visit to Wrigley, they commended the fact that the return of nursing to their community will become a reality. They did also request to me that having access to a mental health worker and programming is also just as important to their community. They are pleased with the efforts of the Deh Cho Health and Social Services, yet desire to see their community be provided with the resources to work towards the establishment of their own programming and staffing in their own community.

I do recommend that we take this request seriously and work to ensure that available mental health programming and staff fulfill the needs of all our communities no matter how small.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the NWT’s “let burn” fire management policy the NWT is a world-class source for valuable morel and other exotic mushrooms of the highest quality. Fresh morel mushrooms bought by southern suppliers last year for $40 in the NWT sold for upwards of $120 on international markets. Demand greatly exceeds supply, guaranteeing high price returns for limited investment. Last year aggressive harvesters from the South took up to half a million dollars in mushrooms, while local pickers made only about $15,000.

The GNWT does not yet have jurisdiction over the management of fungi, although steps are being taken by ENR to get that authority. The jurisdictional vacuum means no controls can be placed on harvesting or prevention measures to ensure local benefits and retain tax revenues.

Alaska, Yukon, B.C. and other jurisdictions support their harvesting industries through government support programs and promotion of their high

quality mushrooms. There are currently no GNWT harvesting support and promotion programs, inventory, training or consideration of harvesting opportunities in land use plans. Fire management information could be used to target harvesting in years following fires, but this isn’t being done.

A small core of dedicated NWT mushroom

harvesters have expert knowledge and field expertise that we could use as a basis for local, sustainable, small-scale industry well suited to northern lifestyles and skills. Small-scale local harvesters have worked for a decade to develop the industry but there has been little real progress, which requires some government participation.

ENR and ITI need to establish NWT legislative authority for the protection and management of wild mushrooms and then move to creating a permitting and licensing system that ensures resident NWT applicants receive preference in granting of picking permits.

The first step is to consult with NWT mushroom harvesters for the development of NWT wild mushroom harvesting support and market development programs, including promotion to external buyers from NWT suppliers.

These fungi are sustainable diamonds in the rough. When entrepreneurs come forward to build our economies, they deserve our help. Ministers, let’s get to it.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to take time to remember a friend and constituent who recently passed away: Albert Christian Jensen, who was more commonly known as “Tiny,” from Fort Resolution.

Tiny grew up in Swan River, Manitoba, and moved north to Hay River in 1967. He first worked at the mine in Pine Point and then with the government with airports and highways in Fort Simpson, Hay River and Fort Resolution.

Tiny is survived by his children: Ralph Beaulieu, Shelley Jensen, Heather Semenok, Cheryl Bugghins, Albert Jensen Jr. and Chris Jensen. Tiny was predeceased by his wife, Alice, when she was only 39 years old. Tiny married Alice and became a son to the late Henry Beaulieu and Mary Beaulieu. I know Mary and all of her children will miss Tiny deeply.

Like I said, Tiny was like a son to Henry and Mary and a brother to all of Alice’s brothers and sisters. Tiny will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him. Tiny was hard not to get to know. He stood six-

foot-seven and weighed well over 300 pounds and was easy to spot. Tiny was a very friendly man with a big heart and he loved his family deeply and he always had a great passion for the people of Fort Resolution.

I remember a story of Tiny Jensen when Minister Miltenberger and I were in Fort Resolution. Tiny walked in and Minister Miltenberger said to me, “What’s that guy’s name?” And I said, “Tiny.” And he said, “Of course.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Mr. Speaker, today my Member’s statement is in regard to an elderly couple who received a power bill for the month January 19, 2010. The amount was $1,824.82. This power bill, Mr. Speaker, was not past due. They called NTPC Inuvik three weeks ago and asked them why their power bill was so high. They said they’d get back to them. Mr. Speaker, they never did. Their daughter physically took the bill and drove it with her to Inuvik, brought the same bill to the Inuvik office. They said they’d get back to her. And, Mr. Speaker, they never did.

This power bill was due February 9. Mr. Speaker, they didn’t want their power turned off, so they paid the bill. The couple who both receive senior pensions have not been doing anything out of the ordinary in their home to receive this power bill amount that’s unheard of.

Mr. Speaker, this couple is 82 years old and she’s 73. They own their own home. They take care of their ordinary bills accordingly. How much of this is their own power bill? This question arises in the communities more than the weather, Mr. Speaker. Steadily, people are talking about the power bill and the high cost. This question arises in the communities more often. I have questions many times. A timely response from a Crown corporation such as NTPC is something we should rightfully expect.

Mr. Speaker, it would not normally happen while the matter is being investigated. The couple did eventually receive a 48-hour disconnect notice and an administration fee notification of $45. Mr. Speaker, this is only one couple and I am sure there are others out there going with the basics of foods and utilities because of their power bills, Mr. Speaker. There are many responsible community people that take great pride in paying their own way, but surely there must be some way the Minister responsible for the Crown can expedite this matter. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Does NTPC still award the management with bonuses? The perception at the community level of the Crown corporation is that it’s gouging the customers to pay senior management bonuses. Considering the poor economic opportunities, this seems to present a negative corporate image by the association of this government. I will have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s no secret that the well-being of communities holds a special place in my heart. My time spent in local governance as a school trustee and city councillor laid the groundwork for that. So when considering GNWT activities I often see things through a municipal lens, and I did just that yesterday as I pondered the Environment and Natural Resources’ budget and listened to the government’s plans for climate change and greenhouse gas targets.

In order to meet an aggressive greenhouse gas target -- one that we don’t yet have, I must admit -- this government must engage NWT communities. Engage the communities in thinking about what they can do and engage them in taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are many ways to do that, Mr. Speaker, but one that I think will produce great dividends is to establish an NWT green fund similar to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Municipal Green Fund.

The GNWT has earmarked about $60 million over a three-year period for energy projects. It is a simple matter to place a portion of those dollars into a special fund for green and energy wise projects, a special fund that NWT communities can access for their energy projects. The parameters of the fund could allow for low interest loans or for grants, the grant amount which could be matched by the communities.

Like the FCM Green Municipal Fund, funding could be provided for feasibility studies, field tests, development of municipal infrastructure, creating energy efficiencies in the community and so on. Under the New Deal established by MACA a few years ago, our communities have control over their own capital funds but often lack the accumulated dollars to take on high cost energy projects or to do the research on potential energy projects. I believe that our communities want to become more energy efficient, want to initiate green projects but need a financial push to get them started.

Mr. Speaker, this is not a request for new money. It is merely a reprofiling of money already identified by the government for energy projects. But it is also money that does not have specific identified targets. How the funds will be spent in future fiscal years is yet to be decided. So I feel we are perfectly positioned to establish an NWT green fund.

Our Territory and our residents deserve the benefits which would result in the establishment of such a fund. Our communities deserve the financial assistance that a green fund will provide, assistance that will allow them to get involved in large cost energy projects for the benefit of our…

Ms. Bisaro…

…question for the Minister of Finance at a later time. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Housing advised the Members that he is undertaking a review of the maximum rent charged to tenants in public housing across the Northwest Territories. I think that it is a good start, but I urge the Minister to be careful about the purpose of the review and to get it done quickly. I also think that the Members should be given an opportunity to provide their views and concerns well before a report is prepared.

Personally, I don’t think the maximum rent charged to a public housing tenant has to be full cost recovery amount. I think when the local housing authorities had to charge full cost recovery, the rents become too high for the community people and they quickly fall behind and get discouraged with large arrears.

We all have heard that these high rents discourage people from becoming employed. The Minister told us yesterday that only 19 people across the Northwest Territories pays a maximum rent. That should be telling the Minister loud and clear that these high rents have made working employment very unattractive to the public housing tenants.

I am advised that the rent review is being undertaken as part of the Cost of Living Strategic Initiative. I hope that the Housing Corporation remembers that most Northerners would think that the high cost of living initiative means that the cost for ordinary people would be reduced. I don’t want to see the cost of living initiative that results in increased costs to the Sahtu tenants. I hope that their purpose is to determine a fair rent for public housing units, not to figure out how to become a private sector landlord who has no understanding of the tenant situations and circumstances.

I don’t know if this is an internal study by the corporation or if they are seeking consultants to prepare the review. I hope that someone will remember to include the views of the LHOs and the tenants, community meaningful consultation process. I think you need to allow for gradual transition and slow adjustments to employment income for your working tenants.

I certainly look forward to additional discussions. I urge the government to complete this work much sooner than March 2011. By March 2011, government will be or may be reluctant to make very many big decisions until after the next election. Sahtu residents want these decisions to be made sooner. Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Housing, unlock the doors of maximum rent charges and set my people free, free to live without being evicted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In October 2009 the Government of New Brunswick and Hydro Quebec announced their proposed deal that would see Hydro Quebec buy the majority of New Brunswick power assets. Some call the proposal a win-win deal. New Brunswick power rates would freeze, the sale of the corporation would ease the provincial financial burden and Hydro Quebec would gain thousands of new customers. This could be either seen as golden and historic or simply just plain foolish giving up a birthright.

I wonder if a similar situation could happen here in the Northwest Territories. If the government chose to sell our Power Corporation or a significant portion of it to ATCO or any other investor, in essence the power generation, transmission and distribution would no longer be in the control of northern residents.

I asked Members in this House to consider the British Columbia model of power transmission. The Minister is required by law to hold 100 percent of the B.C. Hydro shares. B.C. Hydro performs a large portion of its activities through contracts with third parties, supporting businesses and aboriginal ventures that would operate in some parts of the province. However, power generation, transmission and distribution remains in the control of B.C. residents.

As Members continue the current electricity rate review, we must ever bear in mind that the interest of Northerners must come first. We must retain our ability to make decisions about how electricity is

provided and controlled in the NWT. In fact, many Northerners believe that changes to the NWT Power Corporation are necessary in order to reinvigorate its approach and strengthen its accountability.

It may be time to consider whether the Power Corporation could be more effective and efficient if it was a government department. The GNWT Cabinet appoints the board, claims a financial dividend each year, is the largest customer for the Power Corporation and also subsidizes many of its consumers. These activities might all be simpler and more cost-effective if the Power Corporation were a department.

The GNWT has departmental structures, a capital planning system, has special arrangements such as a revolving fund for functions such as petroleum products which generate revenue to cover their costs. And don’t forget, if we didn’t have a PUB review process, there would be substantial savings there.

I think it’s time for the government to consider an unbiased approach, examine the various implications of establishing the Power Corporation as a GNWT department. Working with business, industry and aboriginal governments on specific projects is a great way, in the spirit of partnership, to approach for the future. Losing or selling off control is certainly unacceptable.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to speak again today about the Deh Cho Bridge Project. We’re at a stage in this project where every decision we make has the possibility of costing this government more money. If we can turn a corner and start making some right decisions perhaps we might even be able to save some money on this project.

The bridge will get built across the Mackenzie River. That will happen and I agree that it should happen. However, I will continue to question decisions made on the management of this project because of the impact they have on the public purse here in the Northwest Territories.

I’m not sure who gave the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation and the Minister of Transportation the right to simply give out contracts on this project. As I’ve said before, as a public government we have a duty and an obligation to get the best price possible for the remaining work on this bridge. The Deh Cho Bridge Corporation has ordered the steel for the superstructure which could be utilized by company A, B or C. It wouldn’t matter as long as the contractor of record took on those orders. So again,

why no public tender on the remaining work? What exactly is being negotiated and by whom?

The Minister was quoted recently as saying the Department of Transportation is now calling the shots on the project. So if they’re calling the shots, they should be ready to answer questions about the project. Now that the former project management team has been replaced, who exactly is representing the interests of the Government of the Northwest Territories and taxpayers here in the Northwest Territories?

The bottom line is other companies have been shut out of a competitive bidding process for the remaining work on the Deh Cho Bridge Project and this is just not acceptable. The government has no right to simply hand out contracts to whomever they want, especially when it could potentially cost us money.

I’ve heard that the former contractor, ATCON, who had a fixed price contract of $165 million, was not bonded to perform that work in the Northwest Territories, which makes me wonder whether this new contractor the government is intent on getting into bed with can be bonded for the remaining work to be done. On a project like the Deh Cho Bridge, any other government would require bonding.

It is not my intent to get in the way of this bridge being built. It is my job to hold those making decisions accountable and responsible for those decisions. Given the current disposition of this project, the Minister of Transportation and Cabinet can count on me asking many more questions every step of the way.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize members from the NWTTA: President Dave Reid and also Gayla Meredith, coordinator of member services.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Welcome to everyone in the gallery today. I hope you’re enjoying the proceedings. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about concerns and possibilities with the ATCO proposal as well as the future of power in the Northwest Territories. I’d like to ask the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, could he give this House an update to the status of the ATCO proposal and what is the mandate of that proposal. Is it to sell it to ATCO or is it to work in partnership?

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Deputy Premier, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Premier is out of the House for a few minutes and I will take that question as notice.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement and direct my questions to the Minister of ITI. I noticed that the 2009 edition of the NWT Economic Review contains a lot of statistics about our major resource sectors but there’s no information on agriculture, forestry, or cultural industries outside of our arts and crafts. As I said the other day, our statistics people tell us that if we don’t measure it, we don’t care about it. That may be extreme, but struggling local mushroom harvesters are working hard to get that industry going and we need to take their needs into account. What will this Minister do to ensure that ENR does the necessary authority and management work to allow them to develop the business side and what will the Minister do on the business side?

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Whoever in statistics the Member is referring to, we would never say that those sectors were too unimportant to be counted because we feel that agriculture is an important part of our economy. Certainly in the past we introduced the harvesting of morel mushrooms into the Northwest Territories, so we will continue to work with my colleague to see that sector developed.

I’m not sure how we could have done that if we don’t have authority for working with those resources. Perhaps the Minister could explain

that to me and what he’s doing on the licensing side and training side for this industry.

We all know that when there are forest fires, usually a year later there’s a growth of morel mushrooms. In the past, as a government, we made this information available and provided some equipment. I believe we even had some training sessions. As far as licensing and certification, that would be something that if we wanted to do that we would have to check the legal requirements to do so. But it was mainly like picking berries. You don’t need to be licensed to pick berries.

As I outlined in my Member’s statement, this is quite a valuable industry that’s out there waiting for some support. There is a small core of harvesters that I’m sure poked the government to get something going earlier but they are still awaiting support. I will ask this Minister again if he will commit to working with them to develop those necessary licences and whatever regulatory supports are needed to ensure that the industry benefits our residents rather than walk straight across the border as has happened again this past summer. Thank you.

We certainly believe that this harvesting of mushrooms is a valuable sector and we will work with the Department of ENR to look at what’s required to develop legislation and how we could make sure that the benefits attribute to the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister raised the issue of agricultural support so I’d like to ask, will the Minister ensure that the development of land use plans and agriculture plans take into account the opportunities for a mushroom harvesting industry. Thank you.

As part of our Managing This Land Strategic Initiative we are developing a land use framework for the Government of the Northwest Territories which will look at all of the different interests in Northwest Territories lands. As part of that we will ensure that morel mushrooms harvesting is included. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Finance. I spoke in my Member’s statement about the possibility of establishing an NWT green fund and referenced the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund. That fund has

proved extremely successful for communities across Canada. It’s been used for sustainable community activities and, as I mentioned in my statement, some of those are sustainable community plans, feasibility studies, field tests and implementing capital projects. I’d like to ask the Minister whether or not we have legal or procedural roadblocks that exist for this government to inhibit the establishment of an NWT green fund. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d suggest to the Member that this Legislature has made a conscious commitment to set up a government-wide, territorial-wide green fund filled with $60 million, funded by $60 million, for projects across the land in a whole host of areas. We have the capacity, as a Legislature, to set up funds. We’re coming forward here in the next week to table our heritage fund proposal for consideration. So it’s a decision of the Legislature, but I would suggest that, clearly, we’ve already put some significant resources into a government-wide fund for those very purposes. Thank you.

I thank the Minister for that information. I already know that information and I agree readily that we have earmarked a huge amount of money for energy projects for green projects, but there is no opportunity within that $60 million that has been identified for municipalities or for communities to apply and to access those funds. So I’d like to ask the Minister how any NWT community can access those funds for a particular high cost capital project that they might have. Thank you.

I’d point out to the Member we have the wind energy proposal coming out of Tuk that’s going to be funded. We have mini-hydro out of Lutselk'e that’s going to be funded. We’re looking for pilot projects. We’re looking at some of the communities like Jean Marie. We’re looking at waste recovery at specific communities that have come forward. So, once again, I’d suggest to the Member that the process we’re setting up is based partially on government retrofitting its own buildings, but the majority of that money is targeted to go to communities. We’ve got extensive money in there for rebates and incentives to homeowners as well as businesses to make the right choices. So, once again, I would submit to the Member that if you look carefully at what work this Legislature has undertaken, we have addressed that issue. Thank you.

I thank the Minister for the information. Again, I have to agree to disagree with him, unfortunately. I’d like for him to answer for me how a community can get to be one of the many

projects which he’s mentioned. I give the government credit for the wind energy, for the recycling, all those things that we have done, but those are government projects. I would like to know how any community can access those funds. What is the application process? What are the guidelines, et cetera, et cetera? Can he explain that, please? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, let’s take Tuk for example. That was a project that was brought forward by the Inuvialuit up in the Beaufort-Delta. They’ve been pushing it for a long time. By making the decision to put $60 million into a fund, we had the capacity to move on that. Mini-hydro in Lutselk'e, same thing. We’ve committed to getting hydro into Whati; huge community involvement. They’ve been pushing that. We’re committed to work with the Tlicho in Whati to sort that out. Those are examples and they’re across the North. We’ve done that geothermal in the Deh Cho. I mean, there’s a long, long list. Projects are there, the people are coming forward and we’re considering them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Minister I guess I have to say that I appreciate that people can apply for these funds, but there’s no identified pot of money that is going specifically to communities. I guess I would encourage any community out there to apply to the Minister for some funds.

The last thing I want to say is that the situation that exists now with no specific process for communities to apply does not allow them to apply for a loan, and in many cases it’s the community needs a loan not necessarily a grant. So can I ask the Minister how a community who needs a loan for a project could get that money out of this government? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we would have to, of course, point to the gas tax money and infrastructure money that’s flowed to communities; New Deal money. They have the capacity to plan their own projects. They know that there’s an availability to come to government. They also have the ability now, as far as I recollect, to, in fact, borrow money. So they would have to look at that. If they need extraordinary financing they would have to talk to organizations. MACA would be there to provide advice. So that potential is there already. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions will probably best be directed to the Minister of Public Works and Services in regard to the bidding process this government has. Like I stated, most of the projects in the past have had some major cost overruns and in some cases have doubled in cost. Back then we used to use the Class D estimates to come up with the figure or the number that we were looking at. I know that the department has made a decision to look at Class C estimates. So I’d just like to ask the Minister, have we seen more accurate costs of those facilities and now we’re seeing less cost overruns or is that still a problem in regard to a lot of these capital projects?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Public Works and Services, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it was interesting to hear the Member rattle off a long list of projects that have gone over budget, many before my time. Mr. Speaker, I should clarify that we have a lot of projects that are on budget. We have budgets from the north end of the Territories and we have projects here in Yellowknife that are going well. So it’s unfair, I guess, to have the public think that all our projects are off their budget estimations.

Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct, though, when he states that we had looked at a capital process that we were utilizing for many years that allowed for projects to come in and be listed on the 20-year needs and then work its way into the five-year needs and sometimes just go right directly ahead of the line. That caused a lot of concern. At the beginning of this government we undertook, through Public Works, an assessment of that and decided that we needed to change the system that we were utilizing and have since now incorporated a new longer term assessment period. In the first year we would need to see planning studies. We wouldn’t move into the next phase, which would be design, until we had a need analysis and operational plan, a Class C cost estimate, and we also would not start construction until the third or fourth year. We also would look at warranty and things of that nature within the fifth year, including the commission of that actual project. We have made a lot of changes. I think it is a better system and allows us to do the proper due diligence and it is working quite well as far as we could see. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, in regards to the contracting process that we use, we use negotiated contracts, sole source, bidding processes, but the project that comes to mind is the project in Inuvik. I

know the original estimate when we were first looking on the books was $58 million. Then when they did basically another estimate, it came in at $79 million. The latest estimate is over $100 million. I would like to know, using the school project, is that project on cost, on time and, more importantly, can you state that there will be no cost overruns on this school project in Inuvik? Is that too soon to make that prediction? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, a lot of Members are asking me to state whether the project is going to be on time and on schedule with no cost overruns. That is something that I can’t guarantee. In this case, the project is on schedule and within budget. We don’t expect to see any cost overruns that we can recognize at this point. We will keep the Member informed. We will certainly do a review of that project as we move forward also. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I could recall when we built the school in Fort McPherson at that time, because there was a possibility of cost overruns, they had to cut back or cut out certain things such as the gymnasium and whatnot. I would like to ask the Minister, is there actually a process that takes away certain parts of the project if it is over budget and that you have to come in on budget that you have to basically streamline that project so you are actually on cost? Is that still a practice of government where you have to actually develop a project on cost and also that means you have to downsize the project or streamline the scope of work? Is that something that is done by his department when there is a possibility of a cost overrun?

Mr. Speaker, there is a review that requires us to demonstrate need, to demonstrate the design and confirm why we would need certain designs. We are moving to a more consistent approach of what the actual needs are versus allowing for all kinds of inclusion including sometimes the community wants certain things for cultural aspect or things that would reflect art or things of that nature. We have to be very convinced that it is a useful part of the building. In the case of the new school, for example, we have done a lot of work in the early stages. The design was close to being something that we are going to be moving forward on and recognizing that there was a cost factor and, therefore, had to take a step back, do the review and reduce the costs so it could fit what our budget was. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister if he can provide the information on exactly what the actual costs for the Inuvik school project is, the office building in Inuvik and also the school project in Fort Good Hope, if

those projects are on cost and, more importantly, if there is a cost overrun, to notify Members of the House. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, depending on timelines and when the Member would like the information, we certainly commit to doing that. I am not sure if we have all the information to the point where we can predict that there is going to be a cost overrun, but we would certainly be willing and commit to sharing that information with the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of the Housing Corporation. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement and our discussion yesterday. I want to ask the Minister in regards to the review of the rental issue here. Will the Minister confirm to me and to the House here that the purpose of the rental review is to reduce the cost of living for the public housing tenants and not to increase their costs?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The purpose of the rent scale review is to have an overall look at how the rent scale is delivered and, in consultation with the standing committee and the public or the tenants, to see what improvements that we can make. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, certainly I agree with the Minister, because the Minister, in his exchange with me yesterday, said he has heard the arguments and I think he said something like look at improving some of the way they do the rental scale. I think that is a good start in terms of how we start making some of these improvements. I hope with that type of discussion here that the Minister will look at ways to reduce the cost of living for public housing tenants. Will the Minister commit to finalizing the report and the recommendations early in the spring so that changes can be made sooner than later?

Mr. Speaker, in undertaking the review, our intent is to have the review potentially completed into late 2010-11. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, as I said in my Member’s statement in terms of this government concluding its time in this Assembly here, is this a big enough decision? If we are going to make some changes into how we do the review of the rental of public housing, is it a big enough decision to leave

it for the next government or can we make this decision within this government to go forward in terms of the next Assembly?

Mr. Speaker, the review will be done with all the recommendations and would be a decision made by consulting with committee. We would have a decision made whether it is implemented during this government or the beginning of the next government. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Also, Mr. Speaker, the Minister did say that, when he heard the arguments of the high rental costs for the people who are in these public housing units, he doesn’t want to hear them anymore. Would the Minister then commit as part of the review to go into the communities to hear this issue here and have a big part of the consultation process, when he is putting together his team and people to come into the communities that want to know about how this government is going, to look at this issue in terms of going forward to reduce the cost of living for people in our communities?

Mr. Speaker, when the review is started, I have committed to the Member that there will be public consultation. Obviously, we hear a lot of concerns out there with what they perceive to be the high rents that are charged. So we have to take that into consideration when we are doing the review of the rent scale and then we have to follow the recommendations or look at the recommendations and determine whether it is something that we want to implement sooner rather than later. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement today was regarding the high cost of power for an elderly couple in the community of Tuktoyaktuk with the cost of $1,800.23. Has the NTPC ever investigated whether home meter usage displacement would be desirable in isolated northern communities? This device would relay real time costing to a homeowner at any given time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister responsible for Energy, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m responding as the chair of the Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee to the Member’s questions. We are undertaking a number of reviews to look at finding ways to reduce the high cost of

electricity in the Northwest Territories. We have received a report from the review panel that looked into electricity rates. There is a review of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation and we are working with the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning to examine and develop the government response.

What is the original rationale for the administration fee attached to 48-hour disconnect notices and is that rationale applicable today?

If I could get the detailed information from the Member with regard to the actual bill we can endeavour to respond to the couple and to provide full answers to the questions once we have the bill in our hands.

On the basis of this couple having to pay this high of a power bill and having people in the communities that work for the Power Corporation on contract, maybe we should really look at seeing if these people are qualified on meter reading. Not only that, I think the Inuvik supervisors of the NTPC should really investigate this problem and actually return somebody’s calls instead of having it be brought up in the House.

Customer service is a very important priority for our government, so in all cases we’re working very hard to fulfill the needs of the clients. I will take the information and we’ll make sure that somebody responds very quickly to the clients.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, these elders in the communities are probably not the only ones that are going through this in the communities of Tuk and the communities that I represent. I think we should go through the whole Inuvik region to see if we can send a third party in there out of Yellowknife to go and look at the customer service, get the customer service satisfaction thing out into the communities to see if the people are actually being serviced with regard to the high power rates and all these big bonuses that we have to pay every year.

I appreciate those comments. We are reviewing the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. Once we get the report and I’ve had a chance to examine the recommendations, I’m sure that we will be looking at some of the issues the Member brought up.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to ask the Minister of ITI a few questions on conducting post-mortems on failed businesses. I’ve had a bed and breakfast fail in the community of Fort Simpson and conducting a post-mortem on that business would kind of look at how the Department of ITI could be more helpful, or the BDIC, in this situation and why did the business fail. I’m not too sure if it’s our responsibility, but is there anything within the department mechanism or program that could assist in something of this nature?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the failure rate of small businesses is quite high not only in the Northwest Territories but all across Canada, especially in the first year of operation. So we have a process called Aftercare, where we look at the way we provide services and wherever we’re involved in a business and it goes under, then we want to know what some of the reasons were for the business going under and to try to find out exactly why. So if we do have a similar business in the future, we would have a very good idea of some of the pitfalls that they could come up against.

In this case it was an actual aboriginal business that had failed. I’m pleased to hear that there’s an Aftercare Program. What begins the mechanism to do a post-mortem or to look at other businesses and how we can fine tune our programs or how we could be more responsive to the needs of that business?

Generally we would only look at those businesses that we are involved with either though BDIC or through the officers that we have working in the different regions or community transfer economic development officers. Essentially that’s how it would come about.

I wasn’t quite sure if the Minister said that BDIC had their own separate program to look at a business and how they could have been better helpful to that business. If anything, I was asking about our ITI department. How do we kick in the mechanism? Is it up to the business owner to ask ITI or is that something that we do as a normal course of our business? There’s a failed business out there. Bills are going to be piling up. At what point does ITI step in and use this separate mechanism to examine if this business could have kept going or what could be done better in the future?

We do have a seamless operation when it comes to the issuing of loans and contributions. The difference, it all depends on the business itself. If we do have an interest in there, then we can go in there and do a post-mortem. If it’s somebody in the private sector, then we would probably have to respond to their request in order to be able to gain access to information which is generally private information.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I was just trying to find out the best way we can help businesses that have failed. I think one of the best ways is to conduct a post-mortem. I’d like to ask the Minister if he can look at a program or some type of mechanism within ITI where they do set up a procedure or checklist that can help future businesses by examining those that fail.

We’ll ensure that we do that. I think we have existing programs through our Aftercare Program.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In small communities like Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution there is a unique opportunity for RCMP members to get involved in the community and have a lasting, positive impact on residents, particularly the youth. I have questions for the Minister of Justice on this. Can the Minister advise me if the RCMP members have the option to remain in the community longer than the standard two-year posting?

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It is possible for a posting to be extended within the RCMP “G” Division, but there are certain factors taken into consideration. Whether it be the needs of the community, the needs of the force overall in the particular community and the overall force, and also the timing of the request. They have to give advance notice if there’s going to be a staffing plan for “G” Division and it is done well in advance. But it is possible for an extension at the community level. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of both the Member and the community, will the Minister discuss the possibility of having RCMP officers complete community orientation prior to taking a posting in that community? Thank you.

Yes, that is part of the discussion that we’ve continuously had with the RCMP “G” Division and also the commanding officer. I think it’s important to realize the cultural aspect of it and the size of the community. Orientation to the community plays a big factor. So, Mr. Speaker, this has been on the table with our meeting with “G” Division and then we will continue to discuss that, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, it is common for new graduate officers to be posted in the smaller communities. Would the Minister discuss with the RCMP a proposal that sees these new recruits placed with veteran members? For example, somebody that may have 10-plus years or so instead of two new recruits into a community. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, this has been brought forward at the national table, as well, where we had an incident in Hay River, a bad incident, and also a small community in Nunavut. So this has been brought forward and the discussion has been that we need those officers, new recruits, with a mentor that may have five to 10 years’ experience. So those are the discussions that we’ve had with the RCMP “G” Division, the importance and the relevance of it. So, yes, this is clearly a priority for us that we continue to recommend to the RCMP “G” Division. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister advise me of his findings from those discussions with the RCMP so that I can keep my communities informed? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, indeed, I will advise the Member of our progress to date on this particular piece of work that’s important to all communities. So I will keep the Members informed of our progress to date on my meetings with the new commanding officer that’s coming on stream February 23rd , and we will definitely discuss this

going forward. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.