Debates of Feb. 28th, 2011

This is page numbers 6185 - 6244 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 aboriginal.

Topics

Oral Questions
Prayer
Yellowknife Association For Community Living
Installation Of Woodstoves In NWT Homes
Yellowknife Company Of Edmonton Regiment And Amendment To Employment Standards Act
Territorial Tryouts For Student Athletes
On-The-Land Programs In The Sahtu
Condolences To The Family And Friends Of Julianne Michel Of Lutselk’e
Impact Of Proposed NWT Carbon Tax On Small Communities
Condolences To The Family And Friends Of Don Hunter Of Yellowknife
Recidivism And Violent Offenders In The NWT
Major Telecommunications Outage In Mackenzie Delta And Nunakput Communities
Establishment Of A Convention Bureau In The NWT
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
GNWT’s Efforts To Promote Biomass And Reduce Reliance Of Fossil Fuels
Review Of Funding For Daycares In The NWT
Improving Telecommunication Services In Remote Communities
Establishment Of A Parking Area In Nahanni Butte
On-The-Land Programs For Aboriginal Offenders
Cost Of Student Athletes To Participate In Territorial Trials
Lack Of Recidivism Statistics In The NWT
Establishment Of A Convention Bureau
Voluntary Sector
Support For NWT Reservists
Return To Written Question 17-16(5): Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative
Bill 16: An Act To Amend The Dog Act
Tabled Document 149-16(5): GNWT Response To Cr 4-16(5), Report On The Review Of The 2008-2009 Annual Report Of The Languages Commissioner Tabled Document 150-16(5): GNWT Response To Cr 6-16(5), Review Of The Report Of The Auditor General On Education In NWT Tabled Document 151-16(5): GNWT Response T
Tabled Document 155-16(5): NWT Community Futures Program 2009-2010 Annual Report
Tabled Document 156-16(5): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 5, 2010-2011 Tabled Document 157-16(5): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2010-2011
Tabled Document 158-16(5): Report Re Fiscal And Self-Government Issues In Connection With Devolution, Prepared For Richard Nerysoo, President Of The Gwich’in Tribal Council Of Inuvik
Tabled Document 159-16(5): An Act To Amend The Employment Standards Act, Statutes Of Yukon 2009
Elders Teaching In Schools
Employment Of Persons With Disabilities
Recorded Vote
Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Report of Committee of the Whole
Orders of the Day

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Page 5-25, activity summary, office of the comptroller general, operations expenditure summary, $21.679 million.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Activity summary, office of comptroller general, grants and contributions, contributions, $14.085 million.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Information item, page 5-27, office of the comptroller general, active positions.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Agreed?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Page 5-29, activity summary, office of the chief information officer, operations expenditure summary, $1.844 million.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Agreed? Moving on to page 5-30, information item, office of the chief information officer, active positions.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Agreed. We’re on page 5-32, information item, Mr. Bromley.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wonder if we could get the okay to go back to page 5-26.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

The Member is requesting to go back to page 5-26. Committee agree?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Agreed. Mr. Bromley.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to be clear on how we’re supporting the reduction in power rates here. I see there is a total increase of about $4 million in our subsidy to power rates as a result of our so-called reduction in costs. How is the Power Subsidy Program commercial? Is that a new subsidy that’s somehow used to reduce power rates to the commercial enterprises above and beyond the reduction of the rate riders and is that expected to be a permanent expenditure from now on?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Mr. Miltenberger.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

The Commercial Power Subsidy will cease to exist as it’s currently structured. What was the number for $267,000 back in 2009-2010 under the actuals was how much we were actually spending at the time. It was an undersubscribed program for a number of reasons and when we looked at the new electrical rate structure there was a clear recognition that we would want to come up with a different way to provide some type of support in the smaller

communities and the thermal communities for the commercial power rates, because this particular way that it was dealt with wasn’t that effective, hence what now exists today which has been a significant improvement for commercial power rates.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

So just for clarification, the $6.444 million in expenditures here over the two fiscal years, this year and next, is a one-time cost that won’t be needed in the future? Or a two-time cost that won’t be needed in the future? Is that right?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair David Krutko

Ms. Melhorn.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Melhorn

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When we are going into the 2011-2012 fiscal year it’s the first full year under the new power rates and we will be getting more information about exactly how the TPSP payments are being made. We’ll be readjusting our budget to reflect the actual payments under TPSP. We want to have some more information about how the subsidy is being paid before we make those changes.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

I didn’t understand any of that. I wonder if I could get a more plain language explanation there. Territorial Power Subsidy Program. I guess I want to know what are in those statements. How do we decide what to pay out? They’re identical numbers here between the two fiscal years. I guess I need to understand that more.