This is page numbers 4927 - 4952 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 work.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I am happy to recognize my wife, Jenny, my daughter Chelsey, my daughters Kirstin and Mikayla and my son Matthew. I am really happy to have you here this week. I also would like to congratulate Ms. Miki O’Kane and Mr. Fred Carmichael who used to work up in Tuk when I was just a young guy, probably about 14 years old pumping floats off his float planes all the time and getting free rides from him. I want to congratulate everybody and welcome to the House. Thank you.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Fred Carmichael, a Canada recipient and, more importantly, the president of the Gwich’in Tribal Council. Our presidents, they don’t fade away, we just keep making them work a little harder; that’s all after they leave office. And also Miki O’Kane, I would like to congratulate you also for the hard work you do in the Inuvik region and, more importantly, for the people in the Mackenzie Delta/Beaufort Sea. Also Margo McLeod in regards to the recommendation in regards to being inducted into the Education Hall of Fame. Mahsi and thank you for everything.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a few people that I would like to recognize. The first would be Chuck and Muriel Tolley. Mr. Tolley is being recognized for his accomplishments in education today. I should say, as well, that the Tolley name is a strong spirit in the North so if you mention the Tolley name to anyone here, the first thing they will think is volunteering in community spirit. That speaks well of their family. As well at this time I would like to continue to recognize Anne Enge and her family being here for this special day. Her accomplishments were spoken of very well by Ms. Lee. Mr. Speaker, finally, I would like to recognize Doug McKeon. He is visiting Yellowknife

from Oshawa, Ontario. He is here to see his daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law which is our very own Andrew Livingstone in the reporters’ group today. He just ducked out. Thank you.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. If we have missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the gallery. I hope you are enjoying the proceedings. It is always nice to have an audience in here.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about the issue of oil tanks and the way that we should come up with a rebate program to help people with that expensive cost to replace them and certainly making sure that a good upkeep is kept on those tanks before an environmental problem comes. As I said in my Member’s statement today, an environmental problem with a leaky oil tank could lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mr. Speaker, my first question to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources is: does the Minister agree that helping people make responsible choices should be an attitude, an action that this government should take? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree that personal responsibility is a critical issue and that the government has a role to support people, where possible, in providing the training, the skills and education to eventually make the right choices. Thank you.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, in the last few months even my colleague Mr. Abernethy has raised the issue of public awareness about tank safety. I give him credit for that, Mr. Speaker. Well, it is time for this government to take words a little further and let’s start putting them to action. Would the Minister be interested in the idea or concept of developing a rebate program that could meet this need to help protect our citizens, protect our environment and show them that we care as a government and we do play a role in their lives? Thank you.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, we have committed, as a government, $60 million to look at alternative energy. We have worked with communities. We have worked with individuals to

put out notices to make sure people check their tanks, make sure they check the fittings so they are not leaking, check the age, and make sure they are located properly. We are focusing all of our attention on moving to alternate energy. This type of rebate program could possibly be considered, but it wouldn’t strike me as an alternative energy initiative. Thank you.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister said, this government has a role in helping people. Would the government consider analyzing this situation to see if we could view it from what it could cost to help people change their tanks again to protect the environment and to save the bottom line where it is a very expensive process when they have to replace a tank after an oil spill? Thank you.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to point out that the Housing Corporation as well assists with low income families that are in public housing. I will commit to look at the issue. This is an issue that clearly would be an income tested kind of arrangement where depending on how much you make and could afford to pay would depend, if possible, if there was a program where we do what you may be eligible for. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is no guarantee that new tanks have a full life. What I am hearing in the public from people as well as industry folks who change these tanks is that the new tanks don’t seem to last very long, as I said earlier, due to low sulphur and quality of steel as being problems. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister commit today to this House that he will engage this issue immediately and see if he can have something we can bring back and discuss and review maybe by this fall? Thank you.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I will discuss this issue with the departmental officials and we will be able to have a position paper on what we think is possible, if anything, and the issue of options if there is a plan to proceed. But I will commit by this fall that we will have something on this item. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I spoke about return of the public housing rental subsidy to the local housing organizations. I would like to ask the Minister of Housing about the implementation date. I think there was June 1st . Is the target on track and will

they be able to meet that implementation date? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can assure the Member and all Members of this House that the implementation date is June 1st . We are on target to meet that. All

LHOs have received the training that they need to implement the PHRS, so it is on track for June 1st .

Thank you.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker, does the department anticipate any challenges for the tenants as the transfer back to the local housing organization? I know it took several months when we went to ECE. What kind of strategy or communications plan do they have to ensure that all the tenants do not fall off track and make the transition as seamless as possible? Thank you.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Mr. Speaker, we have communicated our plan to the LHOs and to the tenants. There is also a public campaign that is going to be starting, advising them that as of June 1st they will be able to get their rental assessments

done by the local housing authorities. We don’t anticipate much of a transition challenge right now because, as we all know, they were doing it quite seamlessly before and I think with the additional training that they have received, it should be a seamless transition. Thank you.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker, I think that when the program went to ECE there were additional resources given to ECE. Is there some similar plan to return extra resources to the Housing Corporation as to uptake the program once again? Mahsi.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Mr. Speaker, we are in discussions with ECE on that particular part of it. Those discussions are all ongoing. We are hoping to come up with a resolution quite soon. We didn’t want that to delay our implementation of the June 1st start-up date so we are continuing with that and

we continue to have discussions with ECE on the rest of it. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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