This is page numbers 4889 - 4926 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 5th 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 million.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We do have counsellors and wellness workers in most of our communities. Our budget is $6 million to provide for that. Mr. Speaker, it is true, we do not have a treatment centre in every community. If we were to do that, we need to do that as a Legislature and government and through the business plan process. Thank you.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

The key word in that reply was “most,” Mr. Speaker. Will the government adapt a duel system that will provide an equal number of days for post-program assistance in their home communities once the person, for example, a participant spends 30 days in an addiction program, will the government give a minimum of 30 days’ professional support in their home communities? Thank you.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

The Member inquired about that previously and I did respond to the Member on that. I don’t have it with me, but, Mr. Speaker, I do believe that is possible to have our residents who are coming out of treatment programs and facilities to have aftercare counselling within the community with the staff that we have. So, Mr. Speaker, it’s possible through our system. Thank you.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

As mentioned in a previous Member’s statement, during my community visits in Nunakput I speak to the mayors and the community leaders, all identifying the lack of professional and social support as one of the most serious issues in our communities, Mr. Speaker. People are very passionate about these issues and they have lots to say. As a government, we must listen. We must act, Mr. Speaker. So I ask the government to review the current territorial strategy with addictions in the community counselling programs to conduct a comprehensive community-based discussion to develop and to go forward. Thank you.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

The Member is correct that especially in his communities they are very passionate about this. The government has listened. The Department of Health and Social Services has invested, actually, the largest increase and largest sum to the community of Tuk that I have made available to help the community with their house that they want to open to work on the addictions issues.

The Member mentioned earlier that we should work with the federal government. I would like to advise the Member that the Department of Health and Social Services has finalized an application to the Mental Health Commission so that we can get some assistance from them to work on a program in his community. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’m going to follow up on my questions I asked the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources previously. I would like to ask him, of the $60 million that he and we have been referring to here, where are we at -- it’s a three-year -- in the three years and how much of that $60 million was allocated for biomass projects? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have, I believe, about $15 million for this year. I’d have to commit to get that for the Member, and I’d be happy to provide, the breakdown of all that money across the regions and across the different areas of alternate energy including biomass, wind, geothermal, mini-hydro, and all those different areas. I’ll commit to get that for the Member. Thank you.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Mr. Speaker, $60 million is a fair amount of money and if we’re going to spend $60 million over three years, I’d like to ask the Minister if the capacity is available to this government to sort out how we’re going to spend those funds and actually see the results of them and not have this money lapse in some fashion. How are we doing on that? Thank you.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Once again, when I get that information for the Member about all of the projects that are underway, the Member will see we have done a number of briefings. But we have done a fairly good job in terms of retrofitting our buildings. The Tuk project is moving along. They are trying to fast-track the mini-hydro in Lutselk’e. There is work being done on extending the power lines. We have made fairly significant efforts with biomass, as well, in other areas, with recovering waste heat up the valley. There is a very important piece of work being done for geothermal for both in Yellowknife and in Fort Liard. I think, when you consider what we are trying to do in terms of the structural change of our system, how we generate, distribute and use energy to reduce our greenhouse gases and to reduce our carbon footprint and our reliance on diesel, I think, given the fact that we are now into year two and we have come from basically a standing stop, that we are doing a fairly good job. Thank you.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Mr. Speaker, of course we have been briefed on this thing. The whole idea of this public process here on the floor of the House is to make the public aware of what is going on. People are curious about this. We can tell them that somehow it seems more effective when it comes from the Minister who is responsible for the $60 million. How much of the $60 million has already been allocated in some fashion for the suspension of the dividends from the NWT Power Corporation for the next couple of years and the buying now the rate riders to reduce the power costs that have been announced recently? Thank you.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, the $60 million always included $9 million, which is $3 million a year, initially when we came up with the concept and the funding to do something to replace or to enhance the commercial subsidy in the small communities where the price of commercial power is prohibitive as we sorted through these long-term structural changes to how we use, distribute, generate and consume energy in the Northwest Territories. That money was always there. Now the use has been identified. It is going to result in the rate changes and rate structure changes that have been announced by Minister McLeod and will translate into those significant savings to the commercial power rates in small communities. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The time for question period has expired; however, I will allow the Member a final supplementary question. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The lowering of the commercial power rates in the communities, I can see it acting as an incentive for business. How that translates into lower prices for consumers is a piece that I don’t quite understand how the government is going to have a hand in or ensure that that happens before we get people too excited that the price of groceries is going to go down because the cost of power for the local grocery store is going to go down. How does the government see, actually, that money not just being... The business of operating with high power rates for a while and if a commercial rate reduction is going to help them, it could create some incentive to start some businesses, but how is it actually going to be seen by consumers? Thank you.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I will give the Member a very specific example. I have had contact now for a number of months with the senior officials that run Northern Stores. They were talking to us, came to us about, initially, plastic bags but we started talking about energy costs and their efforts to lower their costs, because it is driving their costs for food right through the roof. I indicated that we were contemplating a number of significant changes and if they were carried through would see a resulting drop in their power rates from 30 percent on up. They were very clear that if that kind of arrangement was made, they would be passing some of those savings on to the consumer. I think we would be following up with those companies. We would be monitoring on the ground and look at our food basket costs and we would be encouraging and working very hard with the private sector to make sure that the consumers in the small communities realize some of that benefit. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Time for questions has expired. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 5 on the orders of the day. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery (Reversion)
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery (Reversion)

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to say hello to my son and welcome my son Matthew and my daughter Kirstin here in the House today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery (Reversion)
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery (Reversion)

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery (Reversion)
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery (Reversion)

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Kathy Tsetso, CEO of Deh Cho Health and Social Services Authority, and two ladies who are with her. I will not try to name them because I will get them wrong, so welcome to the gallery.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery (Reversion)
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery (Reversion)

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Welcome everyone. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery (Reversion)
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery (Reversion)

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to welcome Ms. Kathy Tsetso to the gallery and welcome a constituent of mine.