This is page numbers 1817 – 1858 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 4th 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 going.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, in a coordinating fashion, how do we know we’re meeting the needs of seniors? How do we measure this? How do we understand this and what type of relationship fashion is set up to ensure that the messages, their needs, are being communicated to the government? Is it the responsibility of this Minister? Thank you.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Minister Responsible for Seniors

Thank you. We have a seniors coordinator within the Department of Health and Social Services reporting through the system at Health and Social Services. That coordinator works closely with the NWT Seniors’ Society. The Seniors’ Society supports the various seniors’ organizations in the communities across the Territories. That is how we coordinate our activities or any support that we may have from the government through the one individual that works through the Department of Health and she will get some administrative support within the Department of Health and Social Services. Thank you.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you. Would the Minister responsible for Seniors agree that if we had a seniors’ charter, it be useful, in his view, to ensure that we’re meeting the needs of seniors, and if he does believe that being the case, what would he be prepared to do to work on a seniors’ charter for the NWT? Thank you.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Minister Responsible for Seniors

Thank you. I can discuss that with the regular committees, committees of MLAs, to see if a charter would be something that would enhance support for seniors. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you. A seniors’ charter would be a mission statement of this government on its principles and support for its seniors. Does the Minister believe in that type of concept and ideals? Would he lead this initiative? Thank you.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Minister Responsible for Seniors

Thank you. We have set up a structure where we have, within the Cabinet, a subcommittee of Cabinet that is a social envelope committee, which is led by the Minister of Justice. Within that committee we have the various Ministers working on that committee. We also work with the Regular Members in developing some work through the small communities, the real remote communities, to be able to have the work that’s needed to be able to assist seniors in the various communities across the small communities where they may not have the same type of support systems that are available such as the NGOs in some of the larger communities. So, yes, I will continue to work within that group and involve the seniors groups as much as possible. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Item 8, written questions. Mr. Dolynny.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Human Resources.

Please provide a geo-traffic breakdown by town, constituency and region, of GNWT jobs-to-population ratio at December 31, 2012.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, replies to budget address, day five of seven. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of standing and special committees. Item 14, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 15, tabling of documents. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I table the Sahtu Exploration Readiness Session Report.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table two documents. They are both from the Northern Journal. Ironically, both of them are from the same page and the same date, but I will table them separately. The date is Tuesday, January 29, 2013. The first article is a clipping on Pressures Affecting Slave River. The second one is the NWT River Metals Far Below Guidelines Study Finds. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 16, notices of motion. Item 17, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 18, motions. Item 19, first reading of bills. Item 20, second reading of bills. Item 21, consideration in Committee of the Whole and other matters: Tabled Document 9-17(4), NWT Main Estimates, 2013-2014, and Bill 1, Tlicho Statutes Amendment Act.

By the authority given to me as Speaker, by Motion 1-17(4), I hereby authorize the House to sit beyond the hour of adjournment to consider business before the House, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What’s the wish of the committee? Mr. Dolynny.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to continue with Tabled Document 9-17(4), NWT Main Estimates, 2013-2014, with Environment and Natural Resources.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Does committee agree?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of 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 of Bills and other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Agreed. We will proceed after a brief recess. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

I’ll call the committee back to order. We are continuing on with our review of the main estimates and the department we have up next is Department of Environment and Natural Resources. I’d like to ask Minister Miltenberger if he’d like to provide opening comments to his department.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Yes, I would, Madam Chair.

I am pleased to speak to the 2013-2014 main estimates for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The plan proposes total operational expenses of $71.5 million for the upcoming year. This represents an 8.9 percent, or $5.8 million, increase from last year’s budget.

The bulk of this increase is attributed to forced growth adjustments of $5.3 million to cover increased costs for forest fire operations and suppression, preparing for increased oil and gas exploration and development in the Sahtu and completing negotiations on a transboundary water agreement with Alberta and $1.6 million in energy initiatives. This increase was offset by a $1 million reduction due to funding sunsets and other adjustments.

As Members are aware, the mandate of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is to promote and support the sustainable use and development of our natural resources and to protect, conserve and enhance the environment for the social and economic benefit of all residents.

The department also supports and promotes the priorities of the 17th Legislative Assembly as

outlined in Believing in People and Building on the Strength of Northerners.

A range of activities are proposed to uphold this mandate and this Assembly’s priorities. I would like to highlight a few key investments planned for the next fiscal year.

We are investing an additional $2.5 million to the fire suppression base funding to allow the department to adequately plan and respond to forest fire activity without the recurring risk of exceeding its appropriated amount. An increase to the suppression budget was requested by the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure.

The fire suppression budget has remained static for the past five years and has proven to be insufficient to meet demands in four out of five of those years. The department is also receiving additional funds to cover cost increases for 11 contract forest fire management crews, to provide training for firefighters and to cover increases in the volume and price of aviation fuel for aircraft including helicopters and CL-215 and L-188 Electra aircraft.

As Members requested, we have identified an additional $1.6 million for our energy initiatives. This will result in increased funding for alternative energy technology, commercial energy conservation and efficiency, and energy efficiency incentive programs. Other key activities include ongoing delivery of the Greenhouse Gas Strategy, funding of regional energy advisors in Inuvik, Norman Wells, Behchoko and Fort Simpson, a community scale wind demonstration project in an Arctic Coast community, and installation of remote

smart grids to help improve the efficiency, reliability and sustainability of the production and distribution of electricity.

The department will also continue implementing the NWT Biomass and Solar Energy strategies.

Increased oil and gas activity in the Sahtu region may result in significant environmental impacts. A coordinated approach to collecting baseline information will allow us to monitor these impacts and ensure we have the appropriate information to make informed decisions related to development in the Sahtu. Additional resources have been allocated for a new environmental protection officer position in the Sahtu region and for gathering environmental baseline data.

We continue to make good progress in our negotiations on a bilateral transboundary water resources management agreement with Alberta. Additional funding has been identified to continue this important work which includes Section 35 consultation with Aboriginal governments and regional workshops on the development of Northwest Territories positions for the bilateral agreement negotiations.

The department continues its work on a range of activities which address the priorities of building a strong and sustainable future for our territory, and strengthening and diversifying our economy.

Key activities for the 2013-2014 fiscal year include protecting territorial waters, mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts, improving environmental stewardship and working collaboratively with Aboriginal governments, communities, industry and the public, to conserve our environment and ensure the wise and sustainable use of our resources.

This will be accomplished through the introduction of a new Wildlife Act during this session, the expansion of community-based water monitoring programs, the implementation of a number of wildlife management strategies and action plans including those for barren-ground caribou, boreal caribou and wood bison, the development of sustainable forest economies in our communities, the coordination of the government’s participation in the environmental assessment process, and the development and implementation of an electronic waste program.

ENR staff also continue to work with the devolution office to review, assess and analyze waste management sites identified for transfer to our government and plan for an orderly transfer of organizational records from the federal government.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide an overview of the department’s 2013-2014 main estimates. I look forward to discussing them in more detail. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. I’d like to ask the Minister if he would like to bring witnesses into the Chamber.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Yes, Madam Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Does committee agree?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.