Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Devolution is another step in an ongoing process that has seen the Government of the Northwest Territories take more and more responsibility over the decisions that affect all of us. Decisions about our land and resources should be made by people who live here, by a government that is accountable to NWT residents.

The devolution agreement-in-principle, or AIP, allows negotiations to continue towards a final agreement which will benefit all residents of the NWT. If the deal were in place today, approximately $60 million from resource revenues this past year would be staying in the NWT. This is the money that could be directed to programs and services that directly benefit all residents of the NWT.

More importantly, devolution is about the transfer of already existing authority over public, or Crown lands from the Government of Canada to the Government of the Northwest Territories. It will not create any new powers. Only lands and resources that are already subject to the development decisions of the federal government will be affected. These are powers already exercised on behalf of their residents by the governments of 10 provinces and one other territory. Residents of the Northwest Territories deserve the same opportunity that the people in the rest of Canada take for granted. Devolution will bring important decisions closer to those who will be most affected. This is something that can be celebrated by all residents of the NWT.

No deal is perfect, but even the report recently released by the Gwich’in Tribal Council recognizes that the current deal will be beneficial to the people

of the NWT. If we wait for the perfect devolution agreement we will never have one and millions of dollars will continue to flow out of the NWT. We still have some details to work out, like the issue of increasing the A-base funding offer originally made in 2005, but that is something that can be addressed during negotiations towards a final agreement.

Some leaders understand this urgency and are willing to continue working together towards a final devolution agreement. Others aren’t ready to take that step yet and I respect their position, although I hope that they will soon join us in working to pursue this long-outstanding goal of our people.

The GNWT fully recognizes and supports Aboriginal and treaty rights, and the GNWT has involved all Aboriginal governments who are willing to participate in devolution. That said, Aboriginal governments cannot have a veto over what happens to public lands and resources by simply choosing not to get involved. The settled Dene claims also make it explicitly clear that nothing in them shall prejudice the transfer of authority from Canada to the GNWT, a fact often overlooked in public comments about devolution.

Obviously, the GNWT will continue its efforts to include Aboriginal governments and wants as many Aboriginal governments as possible at the table, but it must be appreciated that devolution is about transferring public lands and resources from Canada to the GNWT and it is not about settling Aboriginal or treaty rights disputes.

The fact is that devolution does not impact treaty or Aboriginal rights. These rights are recognized and affirmed under the Constitution. The AIP clearly notes that any legislative authority that is transferred will be subject to those rights just as the Government of Canada is subject to them now. The AIP also makes clear that the settlement of land claims and self-government agreements will remain a priority and those processes will not be affected by devolution.

The GNWT takes its commitment to consultation seriously, a commitment that we have honoured. With the right to be consulted comes a reciprocal duty to participate. Aboriginal governments that decided to walk out of negotiations or to boycott the

process cannot demand a veto and expect to overturn the AIP.

Mr. Speaker, as a public government, the GNWT represents 100 percent of the residents of the NWT and must consider the interests of the Territory as a whole. The GNWT and Aboriginal government might not always agree on our positions in standing up for the best interests of our Territory; however, this does not mean the GNWT is being disrespectful. All residents of the NWT should be given the opportunity to manage public lands and resources through their public government. That is the objective of the devolution negotiations.

It is my sincere wish that respectful and constructive dialogue among the GNWT and all Aboriginal governments will carry on. I offered to meet with regional leaders on January 25th and

26th , before the AIP was signed, but they did not

take me up on that offer. I have since written to them offering to meet with them in their regions to address their issues and concerns about the AIP. Last month I had good meetings with the Sahtu leadership and look forward to meeting with them again. The GNWT will continue to invite Aboriginal governments to join devolution negotiations. Those that choose not to get involved will be kept informed and Aboriginal and treaty rights will continue to be respected and protected. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. In support of northern victims of crime, I am pleased to announce the NWT Department of Justice implementation of the Victim Notification Program.

The NWT Victim Notification Program is designed to give victims of crime information about the convicted offenders who have harmed them. Many of the provinces, as well as the federal corrections service, offer programs like this. Victim notification programs are designed to give victims the information they need to plan for their safety and assist with the healing process. Information that is provided to the victim includes things like:

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where the offender is being held in jail;

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when the offender is being allowed to leave jail for a short time, such as for a funeral;

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when the offender will be permanently released from jail; and

•

where the offender plans to go once the

sentence comes to an end.

Victim notification programs are important for the protection and well-being of Northerners who are victims of crimes by helping them feel safe. The

NWT Victim Notification Program is for victims of adult offenders who are sentenced to less than two years of jail time in an NWT correctional facility. The program complements the Corrections Service of Canada Victim Notification Program, which is for victims of adult offenders who are sentenced to federal time.

The NWT program allows information to be given to victims who apply and meet eligibility requirements. Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, but generally an applicant for this program should be a victim of a crime, and the offender who committed the crime should be serving their sentence in an NWT corrections facility. There is also consideration given to the privacy of an offender when reviewing applications for a program.

Mr. Speaker, since the program was initiated in May 2010, the Department of Justice corrections division has received three applications for information under this program. I am sure that as we provide more information about the program, more victims will take advantage of it. This program fits in the 16th Legislative Assembly’s priorities to

create safe communities.

Information and application for the NWT Victim Notification Program can be found on the Department of Justice website under the corrections division. Those individuals who are interested in this program can also contact community victim services representatives for assistance in making applications or information on the program. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A diversified economy providing opportunities to all communities and regions, along with sustainable, vibrant, safe communities are the two goals of this Legislative Assembly. An all-weather highway running the length of the Mackenzie Valley will be a major step in achieving those goals. The Government of the Northwest Territories continues to do work to prepare for the future construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway to Tuktoyaktuk. Since I last updated this Assembly on the highway, we made significant progress.

Through the government’s efforts, we have secured the support of each of the Aboriginal organizations along the proposed highway right-of-way. Memoranda of understanding have been signed with each one, permitting representatives to work together with the Department of Transportation to plan and prepare for construction.

MOUs are in place with the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk and the Town of Inuvik and a project description report has been prepared for the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk portion of the highway. This PDR has been used to prepare an environmental impact statement, which is currently being reviewed by the Environmental Impact Review Board. We hope to have all the other PDR work from Wrigley to the Dempster completed within the next year.

I want to acknowledge the federal government contribution to the funding of these PDRs, which will prepare each leg of the highway for regulatory review. I look forward to a continued positive relationship with our federal counterparts as we move to put in place the resources required for this important undertaking. At the same time, under our strategic initiative of Reducing the Cost of Living, we continue making improvements on the winter road which will benefit the eventual all-weather highway.

One considerable accomplishment this past year was the completion of the 300-metre-long Blackwater River Bridge. This bridge is the largest of the all-weather road crossings that are already in place. The all-weather bridge crossings await the construction of the all-weather road while helping to extend the current winter road’s season.

Mr. Speaker, the Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a motion identifying the Mackenzie Valley Highway as a priority for this Territory. We are moving forward with a purpose to help ensure this highway comes to fruition to ensure the benefits and access that could come from this highway are achieved. Once in place, the Mackenzie Valley Highway will not only strengthen the connections to our communities, but will also support economic developments in the Mackenzie Valley.

Future large projects in the valley, such as Mackenzie Gas Pipeline, energy and mineral exploration, or the installation of fibre optic cable to the Delta, will benefit considerably from the construction of this highway. Year-round access would lower project costs, help mitigate river shipping issues and provide much more reliable transportation system for projects such as these. Public infrastructure that supports economic development projects will help our Territory grow stronger and more capable of supporting itself.

Mr. Speaker, the all-weather Mackenzie Valley Highway has been a dream of our residents for many years. Important progress we made in the past year has brought us closer than ever before to realizing this dream. The partnerships we are building today with Canada and Aboriginal groups to undertake the project’s engineering and environmental work are the same partnerships that will get this highway built. I have met with the federal Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure on a number of occasions throughout the life of this

Assembly and I will continue to do so to move this highway forward.

Mr. Speaker, as this project progresses, I will continue to update the Assembly on new developments. I hope one day to drive the Mackenzie Valley Highway all the way up to Tuktoyaktuk. I am sure that is something we all look forward to. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members’ statements. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement today has to do with the failure of the Food Mail Program in my region.

Mr. Speaker, having enough healthy food to eat is necessary to have healthy people and healthy communities. I’m hearing concerns about a shipment of food to the Sahtu communities, especially Deline. Right now Deline’s groceries are packed in Yellowknife and shipped through the air through Buffalo Airways to the Sahtu. As soon as they arrive, someone goes up to meet the plane and picks them up, but lately somewhere along the line the boxes of fresh products are freezing, sometimes boxes even go missing. No one is taking responsibility for these frozen, fresh products. Mr. Speaker, we are trying to promote healthy diets and healthy living in our small communities. It’s hard when most healthy foods go to waste even before they reach the store of the persons. The price of food keeps going up and we can’t afford to waste any more.

I am pleased that communities are starting to produce foods locally. There’s support available for people who want to harvest on the land, but we can’t expect fresh vegetables and fruit to grow in Deline in February. By the time bananas, grapes, potatoes and blueberries reach Yellowknife, they have already made a long journey. It’s a terrible waste when the order doesn’t get to the people who pay for it and who want it in our small communities.

As a Member, I will monitor this situation, Mr. Speaker. I hope someone will take the responsibility so this situation can be resolved so situations like this can be prevented.

Mr. Speaker, people in Deline have used this Food Mail Program and when the order comes in and the family goes up to the airport to pick it up, the bananas are frozen and the grapes are spoiled. No one is taking responsibility to say who is going to cover the costs. The people are losing out in this situation.

Mr. Speaker, I’ll have questions for this government in regard to helping our people in our small communities.

The Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Reducing poverty in our Territory has been a priority for this Assembly and very much a priority for me in this job. We’ve made some progress as a government, but certainly not enough.

The high cost of housing and housing shortages are a big part of the poverty problem. Many of our residents who work hard but earn low incomes simply cannot afford rent in Yellowknife and the regional centres. We’re fortunate to have some transitional housing in Yellowknife, most notably the YWCA’s Rockhill Apartments and the Bailey House for men run by the Salvation Army. There’s also plans to build Betty House, transitional housing for women.

This is all good, Mr. Speaker, but there’s still a problem. We are able to find or construct buildings for transitional housing, but financial help is limited for the people who actually live in them. I refer specifically to the working poor, those who cannot afford to pay market rent at Rockhill and who are not eligible for income support. I refer to the people who literally can’t afford to buy food after the rent is paid.

The YWCA operates 39 transitional housing units at Rockhill. What is desperately needed is a small contribution to support the Y tenants so that the Y can charge the rent geared to the tenant’s income. This small contribution would reduce a tenant’s rent by 10, 20, 30 percent based on their income. The Y estimates that an investment of just $100,000 a year would keep the breadwinners in these families working in 40 to 50 families, and it would prevent them turning to income support.

This is helping people to help themselves, Mr. Speaker, and many provinces do it. I believe the $100,000 expense would be recovered by a reduction in income support payments.

We have to begin funding modest but effective programs like this, programs that serve people better and save the government money. We have to start before Betty House is built because the problem the Y has experienced at Rockhill is sure to repeat itself at Betty House. At the other transitional housing, Bailey House, the Salvation Army charges its occupants $800 or $900 a month for their single units, but it’s nowhere near enough to cover the cost of running the facility. Even with assistance from Health and Social Services, Bailey House is facing a substantial annual deficit. Theirs

is also an important program, one that encourages sobriety and responsibility.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

The people in Yellowknife’s transition housing come from all over the Northwest Territories. Many are trying to rebuild and regroup after troubles in their lives. I use Yellowknife examples because it’s my community, but I know there are people in other communities who also cannot afford to eat and pay market rent.

Samuel Johnson once said that a decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization. I hope to hear some civilized answers from the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation during oral questions.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The federal Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, has announced that the federal budget will be tabled on March 22nd and accordingly there is a great deal of

speculation about what the budget may contain and whether the opposition will support it in the end. As the budget is a confidence vote, then, clearly, if not one of the opposition parties support it, the government will fall and there will be an election this coming May.

As far back as 2004 I have spoken in the House about the importance of the Premier providing the Western Arctic candidates for the Member of Parliament with our priorities from a legislative point of view. That year then-Premier Joe Handley provided a copy of our strategic plan to candidates, and the following election, two years later, he joined the other groups to ask national party leaders and Western Arctic candidates to commit to four key important issues; important to the North, that is.

In 2008 Premier Roland followed suit. These questions and subsequent responses were posted on the Premier’s website. This was a very effective exercise and I believe we should continue this practice.

If an election is called in March, it would occur prior to our next sitting, which is in late May. Given the strong possibility of a spring election, I believe that the Premier should lead a discussion with all the Members of this House while we are still sitting, to determine what key issues should be raised with the national party leaders and all the potential candidates for Member of Parliament in the Western Arctic.

We should use our collective voices to promote northern values, issues and objectives, and what better time to get those types of commitments from the potential candidates and parties than at election time? I will have questions for the Premier later today.

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

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to discuss the simplification of the Business Incentive Policy. Today the current Business Incentive Policy local preference has a local percentage of 5 percent. This is not enough for the small communities. For example, in Fort Resolution a local contractor lost a contract to another business by just over $100 and that contractor brought workers from out of the community.

I think the GNWT should change the Business Incentive Policy to a single 15 percent local preference calculation. This will make it very simple and it will give the small communities a much needed advantage over contractors from the larger centres and southern companies. However, the larger centres will not lose their advantage over southern companies as they will also have a local preference over southern contractors in their home communities.

I believe the original objective of the BIP was to keep the GNWT capital dollars from flowing to southern Canada. This change will maintain that objective. The current 5 percent local preference is also insufficient on small local contractors competing against specialized contractors in larger centres or southern companies. By specialized contractors, I mean workers who work on siding only, or flooring, cabinets, and specialize in those areas, or even large contractors that have a bigger customer base and a greater buying power and are able to keep their costs down well below the 5 percent that’s allowed in the BIP as a local preference.

Every cent that is spent in the small communities by the GNWT should go to local contractors. This recommendation will go a long way to ensuring that. In the small communities there are very few jobs and the jobs that are available to local contractors should be for the workers that live in the small communities. They already have very few jobs and this change will go a long way to building the economy in the small communities.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Committee for Persons with Disabilities has been operating in Hay River since May of 1994. In 2005 they opened an office and in 2008 they began operating a handi-van service, offering people with disabilities access to public transit. They have a governing board and are a non-profit organization operating on donations, fundraising and NGO funding from the GNWT.

The committee provides assistance to people with disabilities in areas such as acquiring adequate housing, locating employment, educational programs, social activities, income support assistance and family support. The committee office is open daily, operating with one part-time staff member and numerous volunteers working countless hours year after year. With the stability of the Hay River Committee for Persons with Disabilities, services and support are readily available in our community.

Funding has become a difficult process for non-government organizations. A small non-profit organization such as the Committee for Persons with Disabilities cannot carry the cost of operation without GNWT assistance. Last spring the committee found it necessary to cease services, as their proposal for new year funding was delayed in being reviewed and approved. Although the office was closed for three months, committee members did remain actively involved, volunteering, checking for messages and assisting their clients.

In previous years the committee received multi-year funding. What used to be a three-year contract is now a one-year agreement, which was not approved or received until halfway through the year. As a result, line item spending was deferred to other expenses and then declined upon submission. For instance, in not having the funds to retain their half-time employee, laying her off accrued a certain amount of dollars in that section of their budget. When they applied to have the re-hired person work increased hours for the remainder of the year, their request was denied. Another unforeseen change was requested on an expense adjustment and was denied. As a result, there will be thousands of dollars in their budget which could have been utilized. They will leave that money on the table.

While we need to ensure accountability when providing funding to non-government organizations, there needs to be some flexibility to allow them to access funding that was approved for them. If they need to make changes, we need to accommodate those requests wherever reasonably possible.

There are two things here to consider: the Committee for Persons with Disabilities in Hay River needs to be on multi-year funding. They do not have the manpower to prepare proposals every few months.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

We need to be more flexible in understanding and processing budget expenses for this committee. We need to appreciate the time and energy that our volunteers have put into organizing and operating NGOs. They are not usually qualified accountants; these are volunteers and we need to be flexible in approving their requests. Without these organizations in our communities, we would not have any of the services they provide.

I would like to extend my thanks to the many volunteers who operate NGOs in our communities and in Hay River. We need you and we appreciate you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak again today about the Deh Cho Bridge Project.

Earlier this week the Minister of Transportation provided this House with a statement on the Deh Cho Bridge Project. In that Minister’s statement he mentioned a revised construction schedule that the department was evaluating and that he would update the House when that review was complete. I’m having trouble understanding how I’m supposed to believe this.

When the Levelton Report was completed, the department kept that report to themselves for months. They did not share it with Members before it was actually posted on-line. Just yesterday I read on the CBC that construction is behind schedule with the Deh Cho Bridge Project.

Why is it that Members seem to be the last ones to know what is happening with this project? I’m having trouble understanding what the Minister said in his statement the other day, when just two days later the project manager seems to be saying something much different.

The Minister has said to the public and to Members of this House that the work would get done. The contractor was to launch the superstructure from both the north side and the south side, to ensure that work would start on the decks in June. This apparently has not happened. Construction has not

even started on the south side and it looks as though construction crews will have to remove temporary bridges from that river during breakup and then put them back in weeks later. This will come at a huge cost.

Yesterday I asked the Minister who would be responsible should the project go past November 2011 and cost us more money, which is exactly what it looks like is going to happen. On a straightforward question you would think I would get a straightforward answer, but the answer the Minister gave me left much to be desired and spoke nothing about responsibility, of which I will continue to ask him questions later today.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak about the Fort Simpson Army Cadet Corps and how proud I am of them.

Congratulations to the cadets and staff of the 2860 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps of Fort Simpson on their recent Interprovincial Cadet Exchange trip to Hamilton, Ontario. An Interprovincial Cadet Exchange is an activity in which one cadet corps visits another corp from another area of Canada. The aims of the exchange are to expose cadets to the multicultural composition of Canada and to promote active living. The exchanges are fully funded by the regional cadet support unit, which for all northern corps is located in Whitehorse, Yukon.

From February 24th to March 1st of this year the Fort

Simpson cadets were hosted in Hamilton, Ontario, by cadets of the 2814 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps. Cadets from both corps spent their days together touring the sites of southern Ontario. Highlights included Niagara Falls, a swim park, Canadian Heritage War Plane Museum, a shopping mall, the Toronto Zoo and the famous CN Tower.

In addition to many activities, the cadets dined together, giving the groups plenty of time to mingle, talk, and discover what they had in common. Cadet Warrant Officer Jennifer Gast reflected: “We went to interact with other cadets. I enjoyed the meals best because we got to meet everyone. A few had stereotypes of Northerners and we were happy to disillusion them.” Cadet Corporal Devon Horassi shared his viewpoint: “It was fun. I had a great time at the House of Frankenstein in Niagara Falls. The other cadets were just like us. They were surprised that we dressed the same.” For Corporal Robert Harold: “The trip was a chance to meet new people and see what their lives are like. The CN Tower’s glass floor was the best.” He went on to add: “The zoo was fun too. We got lost and found kangaroos.”

The 27 cadets were accompanied on the exchange by the commanding officer, Lieutenant Steve Nicoll; and Lieutenant Diane Porter. Congratulations to them.

The exchange is just one element of a highly successful army cadet program in Fort Simpson. Thirty-four cadets are registered with the corps, and a staff of six volunteers. Furthermore, two cadets were recently selected from Fort Simpson and are currently participating at the National Biathlon Championship in Val Cartier, Quebec.

Well done to the cadets of the 2860 Fort Simpson. Keep up the good work.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.