Good afternoon, colleagues. Before we proceed today I’d like to provide my ruling on the point of order raised on Monday, February 25, 2013, by the Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Mr. Hawkins rose on a point of order further to reviewing the transcripts of a question and answer exchange between himself and the Premier, the Honourable Bob McLeod, on Friday, February 22, 2013.

Mr. Hawkins’ point is that the Premier, in responding to Mr. Hawkins’ questions, breached Rule 2(g) of the Rules of the Legislative Assembly by referring to confidential standing committee discussions on an infrastructure project.

Rule 2(g) states, “Point of order means any departure from any written or unwritten rule or custom of this Assembly or of Parliamentary tradition.” I’m guided by previous rulings by Speakers of this Assembly, and by Marleau and Montpetit House of Commons Procedures and Practices, in confirming that reference to confidential committee discussions does constitute a violation of Rule 2(g).

The point of order, therefore, turns on whether Premier McLeod did in fact breach confidentiality.

In considering this matter, I have reviewed the unedited Hansard from February 22, 2013, and in particular Premier McLeod’s comments on page 26, which were also quoted by Mr. Hawkins in speaking to his point or order. Premier McLeod said, “We did, as the government put it, have that project called the NWT Law Courts Project and we put $40 million in the capital budget in 2005-2006. Committee took it out of the budget.”

I have also reviewed the unedited Hansard from February 25, 2013. In raising the point of order, Mr. Hawkins stated, on page 1, “I have searched high and low and combed committee reports, and I have not found any formal position taken on it, so I draw the attention of the House that there was a breach of committee confidentiality.”

In responding to the point of order, the Premier stated, at page 2 of the unedited Hansard, "I know that the $40 million was put on the capital budget as a marker. It had considerable opposition. It was my understanding that that’s what happened.”

The Member for Thebacha, the Honourable Michael Miltenberger, also spoke to the point of order. Mr. Miltenberger stated, at page 1 of unedited Hansard, “I just want to make the point that if the Member says that he couldn’t find any reference to it high or low and then he says it’s a breach of committee confidentiality, if in fact there’s no evidence or reference to it, how can it be a breach of committee confidentiality?”

I found Mr. Miltenberger’s comments most helpful in addressing this matter. Mr. Hawkins himself acknowledged that he was unable to find any documentation substantiating that committee had, as Premier McLeod suggested, caused the courthouse project to be removed from the budget. I note that remarks made by the then Minister of Justice, the Honourable Brendan Bell, provide an alternate explanation for the decision. I quote Minister Bell from the Hansard from March 6, 2007, at page 1236, “…the delay in the courthouse is the direct result of limited capital funds and seemingly unlimited capital needs across government, whether it’s repairing schools or other things. Members are fully aware of the rationale for delaying the courthouse at this point.”

As your Speaker, I do not claim to know what the committee’s position was on the courthouse in 2005, 2006 or 2007. I only note that there are now at least two explanations on record, Minister Bell’s and now Premier McLeod’s, for why the courthouse project was taken out of the budget.

I also considered it relevant that, as Members should well know by now, no committee has the authority to remove an infrastructure project from a budget. The decision on whether to include an item in a budget proposed to the Legislative Assembly lies solely with the government. The decision to remove an item included in a budget before the Legislative Assembly lies solely with the Assembly. This is best summarized in the oft quoted phrase, “The government proposes, the Legislature disposes.”

As I stated earlier, the point of order turns on the question of whether Premier McLeod breached committee confidentiality. However, Premier McLeod could not have breached committee confidentiality in stating that a committee took an infrastructure project out of the budget, when, in the first place, no standing committee has the authority to do this and, in the second place, none of the Members who spoke to the point of order indicated they had direct knowledge or evidence that the discussions or positions attributed to the committee in fact took place or existed.

Therefore, I find that the Member for Yellowknife Centre does not have a point of order.

However, that’s not to say that Premier McLeod’s comments do not raise some concerns, and I would like to take this opportunity to caution Members on a few matters.

First, it’s important to point out whether the Premier believed his statement to be a true reflection of how the infrastructure project came to be removed from the budget is irrelevant to the question of whether Rule 2(g) was infringed. The issue is whether the Premier breached confidential committee discussions. Had the subject matter been more recent committee business, and had it been possible to better substantiate the accuracy of the position or discussions attributed to the committee, the same remarks may well have been ruled out of order.

Second, as your Speaker, I am concerned that comments such as those made by Premier McLeod may contribute to inaccurate public perceptions about the decision-making processes of this Assembly.

As I emphasized earlier, no committee has the authority to remove an infrastructure item from a budget. The government proposes and the Legislature disposes.

Colleagues, in many instances during the 17th Assembly, I have noticed both Regular Members and Cabinet Members making references to committee business and discussions that have not been previously reported. I can appreciate that sometimes the distinction between which references are allowed and which are not can sometimes be a difficult one to make.

In this matter, I find Speaker Delorey’s guidance in his October 21, 2004, ruling helpful and quote the following: “Members on both sides of the House have a duty to ensure that they are mindful of the rules about confidential information and are respectful of one another at all times. This is one of those areas where it might be prudent to err on the side of caution so that privileges of all Members, individually and collectively, are protected.”

I would like to echo these words and ask my Members to take them to heart as we continue to

work together through the 17th Legislative

Assembly. Thank you, Members.

---Applause

Item 2, Ministers’ statements. Honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to advise Members that the Tlicho Government will be signing the Devolution AIP.

---Applause

They are joining our Government, the Government of Canada and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Northwest Territories Metis Nation, Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated and Gwich’in Tribal Council as signatories. The Tlicho Government advised us of their decision at a meeting yesterday and we look forward to a signing ceremony in Behchoko on March 8th to welcome them back to

the table as full partners in the future in the management of land and water resources in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, we now have every Aboriginal government with a settled claim at the table with us.

---Applause

The Tlicho Government has taken the time they needed to determine what was best for the people they represent and we respect that commitment, it is one that all signatories share. The Tlicho Government has stated their willingness to work with us and we are pleased that their final decision was to become part of devolution.

The Tlicho Government is unique among Aboriginal governments in the Northwest Territories in having already negotiated self-government as part of their claim. They have legislative authority and jurisdiction that is constitutionally protected and ensures their right to govern themselves. As a government, they know what it means to make important decisions and we appreciate their decision to rejoin devolution. With their help, we will ensure that their citizens and all Northwest Territories residents enjoy the benefits that devolution will bring.

Devolution will give Northerners the tools, authority and resources to manage future development in the Northwest Territories so we can ensure all our residents benefit and our environment is protected the way Northerners want it to be. The reality is that our economy depends largely on the Northwest Territories’ rich store of natural resources. Developed sustainably and responsibly, these resources can create a strong, prosperous territory that provides opportunities for jobs and personal

success to all our people right across the Northwest Territories.

I would like to offer our continued support to the two remaining regional Aboriginal governments without settled claims. The Dehcho and Akaitcho Territory governments are focused on settling their land claims and the Government of the Northwest Territories remains committed to our role in moving the process forward. We have written to both governments and invited both of them to sign on to devolution. We will continue to work with the two unsettled claim areas and encourage them to consider the benefits that devolution will bring to their people.

Mr. Speaker, our goal is within reach. Devolution means jobs and business opportunities, more control over the economy, new revenues and a greater say in resource development and environmental protection for the Northwest Territories. The deal we have negotiated is the fruit of more than 10 years of hard work.

As we turn our minds more fully to implementation and transition, I am pleased that we will have the majority of Aboriginal governments at the table with us. With their help and partnership, we will be in a position to make the most of our new responsibilities and ensure that all people of the Northwest Territories enjoy the benefits. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, for the past year our government has been celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with the rest of Canada and the 15 other Commonwealth Realms.

We began the Jubilee year last February when Members unanimously passed a motion in this House congratulating the Queen for her years of service. Over the year, communities came together in their own celebrations of the Queen’s reign, including feasts, Diamond Jubilee teas, essay contests, hockey tournaments, garden parties and barbecues.

One of the most notable ways we have celebrated the Jubilee has been our participation in the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal program. The Diamond Jubilee Medal program was established by the Government of Canada to honour the Queen, and to recognize the service of Canadians from all walks of life and backgrounds that have made significant contributions to their communities and helped create the Canada of today. We were pleased to take part in this program along with our partners, the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, the Member of Parliament for the

Western Arctic and the Senator for the Northwest Territories.

Together we have recognized 145 Northwest Territories residents for their service to their communities and territory. People from every constituency were honoured with Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medals to thank them for building a strong, sustainable future for our territory. Nominations came from the public, from Members of the Legislative Assembly and from Aboriginal governments. Our recipients join several other Northwest Territories residents who were nominated by other organizations, including the RCMP, St. John’s Ambulance, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and others.

Presentation ceremonies have been held around the territory throughout the year, often with the help and participation of Members. I would like to thank all Members of this House for participating in the program and helping to present medals in their communities. I would also like to thank our partners and Aboriginal governments for joining with us in this important initiative to recognize deserving Northerners from across the territory.

The Diamond Jubilee officially ends today. On behalf of Members of the Assembly, I would like to extend our congratulations to all recipients of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and offer our best wishes to Her Majesty once again. We will be holding the final Yellowknife medal presentation ceremony in the Great Hall this afternoon and I invite all Members to join us as we celebrate the end of the Diamond Jubilee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Colleagues, before we go on today, I’d like to welcome to the House former Premier, Mr. Jim Antoine, and former Cabinet Minister. Welcome back to the House.

---Applause

And our one and only Mr. Anthony J. Whitford, former Commissioner, Speaker, Minister, MLA, Honourary Clerk of the House, Sergeant-at-Arms and now a Navy Captain. Welcome back to the House, Tony.

---Applause

Item 3, Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to follow up on my colleague from Hay River North when he spoke about dredging in the Hay River this week.

Hay River is the second largest community in the territory. When communities locate where they do, it’s for a reason, and the reason, I assure you, that Hay River is located where it is, is because it is at the mouth of the Hay River which flows into Great Slave Lake. The industry of Hay River, our recognition as the Hub of the North, is all based on the transportation industry.

Our community was founded on the fact that we are the largest inland harbour in western Canada. For that reason, the Canadian Coast Guard, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, these institutions are located in Hay River. But it is now a sad day because after the federal government Department of Public Works dredging department pulled out of Hay River, they devolved the responsibility to this government, for which there was no plan, no money, no equipment and I don’t know how the federal government could have gotten away from absolving themselves and stepping away from that responsibility.

We keep asking the Minister of Transportation what he’s going to do about it, but we are knocking on the wrong door. There is no way that our government is going to step up with the equipment and the money to dredge the harbour in Hay River. It is a very urgent issue. Not only is it affecting our destination as the home of the Canadian Coast Guard installation, it is also threatening the residents, a great number of residents of our community who live on Vale Island, because of the annual risk of flood. That is something that can only be continuing to cost this government money through Municipal and Community Affairs.

As we talk about devolution and we hear about NWT Days and we hear about our government going down to Ottawa to talk about the Inuvik-Tuk highway, the fibre optic link, devolution, I would like them to add another topic to their list of priorities that they need to talk to the federal government about, and I would like that to be the dredging of the Hay River Harbour.

Hay River is the second largest community. We absolutely depend on that harbour for the livelihood and the economy of the community. It’s for the safety of our citizens and I would like to ask the Premier later today if the dredging of the Hay River Harbour will be up there, named off with those things that will be taken to the attention of the Prime Minister’s office and the federal government each and every time we speak to them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This weekend I have the opportunity to attend some of the events going on in Hay River. As I indicated yesterday, it will be March 1st and the beginning of

spring is here, because we have the carnival. The Kamba Carnival will be starting this week and I’d like to thank all the organizers that had to help organize it. I would like to wish the five queen contestants good luck on the competition, and also those people that are in the snowmobile races, snocross races and drag races. Good luck. Hopefully everyone participates safely.

This brings a lot of people into the community and I’d like to bring a couple of other events that are coming to Hay River here soon. On March 15th to

17th Polar Pond Hockey is going to be celebrating

its fifth anniversary. They build 10 hockey rinks and play hockey right on the ice like they did in the old days, maybe in Deline when they started. I’d like to have people look into the Polar Pond Hockey, sign up. There’s a last-minute signup sheet. You can look on line at polarpondhockey.com and sign your four-person team up. You can be an open team, a ladies’ team, a seniors’ team.

Also that same weekend on the Saturday, the 16th ,

we have a Hay River ice fishing challenge. It’s basically an ice fishing derby that’s going to be the second annual. Last year was very successful and the early draw will be happening tonight.

The weekend of the 15th to 17th is going to be an

exciting weekend, but I look forward to seeing the activities that are going on in Hay River tomorrow. Tomorrow we will have an official half day off for the Kamba Carnival.

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s not often that I get really angry about a response from this government. Today I am riled.

Last fall I tried to get some information from the Minister of Education’s office about planned renovations or upgrades to two Yellowknife schools. It took some doing, but I did get some information. It didn’t suggest much capital planning on the part of the department, though, so six weeks ago I submitted a written question to Minister Lafferty in the House. I asked for the plans that Education, Culture and Employment has for renovations or new construction for our 47 NWT schools in the next five years, the next 10 years, and the next 20 years. I was looking for evidence of

a capital plan. Some evidence of a long-term plan for education facilities. Yesterday the Minister tabled his answer to my question. It’s on page 31 of February 27th unedited Hansard. It’s not worth the

paper it’s written on and has left me truly disturbed and frustrated.

The response contains no statistics. Not one school is mentioned. I am advised of the capital planning process and that budget amounts for capital projects are not published. I know that process. That’s not what I asked for. I waited six weeks to be provided with information I already know. I think it would have been preferable for me to get no answer rather than the one I received. I feel this answer is an affront to my intelligence and a slap in the face to our legislative system.

Written questions are intended to provide Members with detail that cannot rightly be provided during our oral questions exchanges. How else can Members get detailed information about a certain issue or concern into the public realm?

I wasn’t looking for dollars and cents, just the plans ECE has to maintain and replace their infrastructure in the future. The response suggests that there is no plan, that the department has no idea which schools need renovations or replacement and when. This response suggests that any education capital projects will be left to the lobbying efforts of MLAs and subject to political suasion and whims. Hardly a well thought out plan.

I will have questions for the Minister of Education about plans for school renos and replacements at the appropriate time.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The people in the Sahtu have always talked about going out on the land. Unfortunately, some of our people end up in correctional institutions. I’ve listened to Colville Lake people, people in Fort Good Hope and Tulita, Deline and Norman Wells. The older people talk about the power of going out on the land and getting healed and being taught.

Unfortunately, this government has only two, I think, on-the-land treatment programs or healing programs or correctional camps that are operating, if not maybe one. People in the Sahtu are saying that and the elders are saying that. Old Jim Perriot, the old former chief, is saying take them on the land, or Chief Charlie Barnaby, the former chief, says take them out on the land. Our elders are saying this for a reason.

Even this morning, I read parts of the book on returning to the teaching by Rupert Ross, who was the assistant Crown attorney at the time. He talked

about Aboriginal justice and how that fits into the western concept of justice and corrections, and he’s starting to understand the importance of what the Aboriginal people are saying about taking their people who have done wrong against their own community or the society, and the elders have encouraged them in this complex world to bring them to the land.

I want to say to the people here that the land is our teacher and nature will be doing the teaching. There are things that man has no control over and there are things that man does not have any control at all. No matter how smart we get, whether it be in technology or science, there are things we will never control. God, the Great Creator, carefully protected and hid the control on certain things in the unseen world. There are forces in the unseen world that make sure humans don’t mess things up. The bottom line is, no matter what we do, nature will have the last say. Nature is the teacher. We are the students. May we honour and respect our teacher.

So the people are saying take our people to the land. I tell the Minister: Free my people.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Some of my constituents have contributed their talents and time to our territory over many years. Many of these residents have been awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. They include politicians, policemen, firefighters and respected elders, and I would like to recognize them today.

Firstly, my predecessor, Mr. Jim Antoine. He is a former MLA, Premier, Minister and a four time chief of the Liidlii Kue First Nation. I’m pleased to see him in the gallery here today.

Fort Simpson RCMP Sergeant Rob Gallant helped promote peace in volatile parts of the world and works with youth, particularly through the cadet program.

Mr. Bert Tsetso served with the RCMP for 20 years and was a bylaw officer in Fort Simpson for 14 years.

Auxiliary constable Mr. Lee Cazon was honoured for more than a decade of volunteer work with the RCMP in Fort Simpson.

Fort Simpson deputy fire chief Pat Rowe and former fire chief. He has been a firefighter since 1983.

Mary Louise Norwegian, my auntie, helped people in need while raising eight children on her own. She

worked as a community health representative for many, many years and a volunteer mortician.

Well-known Wrigley elder and former chief Gabe Hardisty. He was one of the founding members of the then NWT Indian Brotherhood. He is a traditional man who is always willing to lend a hand.

Elder Sara Hardisty of Jean Marie River spent most of her 85 years on the land. She has played a vital role in providing guidance to the local and regional leadership as well as preserving our Dene culture.

For the past 30 years, Ms. Irene McLeod of Fort Liard opened her home to people in need, providing foster care and helping elders by visiting them and bringing them food.

Ms. Laura Vital of Nahanni Butte spent 35 years as a teacher and curriculum developer for the South Slavey language.

Trout Lake elders Mr. Joe Punch and Mr. Edward Jumbo spoke to the Berger Inquiry 35 years ago. Today they teach our young people history, culture and traditional skills.

I offer my congratulations and a big mahsi cho to all the Diamond Jubilee Medal recipients from Nahendeh and any other recipients from other parts that I may have missed. A big pat on the back to them all. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of the residents of Aklavik in the Mackenzie Delta, I’d like to thank the Minister of Housing and also the Department of Housing for the announcement of the new Joe Greenland Centre which is planned for this year.

It is much needed in the community in my riding and I’d just like to thank the Minister and the department, and also Cabinet. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, during question period, I had asked the Minister of Health and Social Services some questions about something that has come out in the news recently. That was that obesity rates are at historic levels, specifically for the Maritimes but even more so for the Northwest Territories.

That got me further into research and I found that in 2004 red flags were raised, and yet nothing was

done. The Member did mention that they did start a program in 2003, yet we are still at these historic rates today.

I did a little further research into how we can address this or look at other historical documents and reports that might have caused some more red flags, and I was really pleased to find something else here in terms of prevention and promotion.

The main cause of death, disease and disability in Canada and the Northwest Territories today are chronic diseases and injuries. However, a large portion of chronic diseases, disabilities and injuries can be prevented or their onsets can be delayed. That’s where we need to begin and drop these historic rates back to where they were in 2004, or even lower.

I also came across a declaration on prevention and promotion from Canada’s Ministers of Health and health promotion and healthy living that was signed in 2010. I was very happy to see this and I’m sure that our Minister had also signed and adopted this declaration, and I would encourage all Members of this Assembly to take a look at this declaration. Look and see what’s stated in there.

But just for your information, I just want to highlight a couple things. Their vision was the view that promotion of health and the prevention of disease, disability and injury are a priority and necessary to the sustainability of the health system. That’s where we need to begin. They also recognize that the onset can be delayed of all these diseases, and that prevention needs to be the first step in management. Yet for the last two years, since I’ve been in this government, we’ve been fighting for more dollars for prevention and promotion, when there’s a good chance that our Minister of Health at the time did sign off on this declaration.

I wanted to discuss a little further in detail some of these findings, but I just want to put that point forward and I will continue on this battle so that our obesity rates or health rates do go down. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up on the Premier’s statement earlier today and Mr. Menicoche’s statement. I appreciated those.

In this Assembly and throughout the community, we often hear the happy news of awards being conferred upon citizens who are selected for individual distinction. Acceptance remarks of people receiving these awards are so similar they’ve almost become standard phrases in our language.

They usually say something like “I’d like to thank all those who made this possible.”

The awards themselves are important. I believe strongly in saying thank you to the people and groups who improve all our lives. By the nature of awards, these gestures recognize that the results have an above and beyond quality that are distinctive and distinguished. As the individuals who receive the awards almost invariably say, “I couldn’t have done it without…”

It’s all the people who share in the accomplishment but may not formally get an award who I would like to recognize today. That’s the other phrase you usually hear, “the people are too numerous to name.”

Here in the Northwest Territories, I believe our close sense of community and common fellowship has blessed us with a special endowment of high achievers, contributors and willing partners, and I see many in the House and in the gallery today. The quality of our community life is one of the things we savour most, and the high quality of the continuing extra effort, compassion and decency is what makes this life so rich.

Occasionally, special efforts will result in the conferral of an award. We have many great community leaders and many whose lives of continuous achievement are worthy of recognition. These are occasions to say thanks and to count our shared blessings.

Today, as we come to the end of the Queen’s Jubilee year, I ask this House to join me in saluting all those unnamed citizens and groups who make the NWT such a great place to live and work. All their contributions create this society where great things are possible. Mr. Speaker, here’s to them.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Boys and Girls Club of Canada is a leading provider of quality afterschool and out-of-school programs for children and youth. At over 100 years old with 104 clubs, six regional service offices, over 700 locations in 10 provinces and the Yukon, it serves over 200,000 youth from preschool to young adulthood.

Its mission is simple: to provide a safe, supportive place for children and youth to experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, develop positive relationships, build confidence and life skills. Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada are provided in neighbourhoods where they are needed most, including large centres, remote and rural communities, and First Nations.

Each club provides children and youth with programs in physical recreation, nutrition, technology, the arts and personal development. Some clubs provide meals, family support programs, emergency shelter and other supports to children, youth and families in need.

Programs are offered primarily during the afterschool hours when young people are most vulnerable to victimization and becoming drawn into anti-social behaviours, yet many clubs also offer programs during evenings and weekends.

What is unique about the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada is that it is a national organization that provides the following benefits and services such as national reputation, brand, standards and quality assurance; support materials; funding through national partnerships such as WestJet, Sears Canada and Service Canada, to name a few. It also provides national programs and training opportunities and, finally, research and policy initiatives.

As for costs to the families, club fees are affordable and are subsidized or waived for families in need. Upon my analysis the reason I’m bringing this forward today is I believe this model could be adopted in many of our communities throughout the NWT. Therefore, I challenge all NWT communities to review their needs, organize a model and develop the requirements to operate on a provisional basis as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada requires strict membership requirements.

Furthermore, with our Education department piloting two child family resource centres, the addition of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada could be a great opportunity in the education through play approach and fill a much needed gap in our early childhood programs for youth throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Item 4, 4eports of standing and special committees. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize three people in the gallery. First, my father, Dick Abernethy; my mother, Loretta Abernethy; and my wife, Carolyn Smith, who is awesome by the way.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize members of the NWT Seniors’ Society. Their motto is Seniors Helping Seniors and they do that very well. I’d like to recognize the president, Leon Peterson; the past-president,

Beatrice Campbell; secretary Marion Smith; director Ib Kristensen; and the executive director, Barb Hood. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, as well, would like to take this opportunity to recognize three fine constituents from Thebacha, Bea Campbell, Ib Kristensen and the president of the Seniors’ Society, Leon Peterson and thank them for coming and welcome to the Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure today to recognize a constituent of Hay River South very active with the Seniors’ Society in Hay River, constituent Marion Smith. I’d also like to recognize two of my former colleagues in the House today, Mr. Jim Antoine and Mr. Tony Whitford. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to acknowledge to you and through you two residents from Range Lake. We have Ms. Heather Riviere here and we also have young Master Tim Riviere who is the recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, I believe one of the youngest recipients we have in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to acknowledge the presence of former Premier, Minister and MLA Jim Antoine, who also served as chief and is my good friend and mentor.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to use this occasion today to recognize Sandra Taylor, who is the president of the Yellowknife Seniors’ Society and she is a constituent of Yellowknife Centre. I’d like to thank her for coming today. I’d also like to recognize all the seniors in the gallery, although there are too many to name, but I would like to make special mention of Barb Hood. She does a fantastic job with the NWT seniors. It’s a yeoman’s job and she needs a special pat on the back for the hard work she does. Finally, of course, I would like to recognize two good and long-time friends: Jim Antoine, who I have known since I was a young man and certainly he has been a mentor to me as well, and always my special, favourite friend, Mr. Anthony W.J. Whitford.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to recognize Weledeh residents. First of all, Barb Hood. Thanks for all the great work she does. Also, Anthony W.J. Whitford. I’d also like to recognize former Premier Jim Antoine. Also, I would like to mention Loretta and Dick Abernethy, who are long-time but not quite current residents of Weledeh, and I believe they are both awesome as well.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a Page from Yellowknife South, Bethany Giovanetto, and also all the other Pages who are working here this week.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’ll set a record by recognizing Mr. Jim Antoine in the House as well. Welcome to the Legislature, Jim, it’s a pleasure to see you, and once again, congratulations on your Diamond Jubilee medallion that you received earlier in the year.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will break that record by recognizing Mr. Jim Antoine, a good friend of mine, also to Mr. Whitford and all his accomplishments. I’d also like to recognize the NWT Seniors’ Society group that my mother dearly loved to work with and she certainly spoke highly of them. I also, in closing, would like to recognize one of our staff members who is with one of the children up there.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. I, too, would like to welcome the mayor of Tuktoyaktuk, Mr. Mervin Gruben, and from my home community of Tuk, my cousin Wanda Norwegian. Welcome to the House. It’s always good to see you. Probably the happiest day for me was welcoming my son Mitchell back home last night. He’s coming home with me tomorrow. Welcome back to the Territories. I’d like to welcome the Abernethy family too. They’re all great. To all our visitors in the public gallery here today, thank you for taking an interest in our proceedings here today in the House. Have a good day and enjoy the proceedings.

Item 7, acknowledgements. Item 8, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My daughter told me that a friend of hers overheard a peripheral conversation with me talking about how wonderful the Ministers were and they said, what’s happening? Is your mother resigning? Anyways, let me assure you I am still alive and well, and I have had too much coffee today so I need to talk about Hay River dredging. I’d like to direct my questions to the Premier today because I do believe that this is an area of federal responsibility, the dredging of the Hay River Harbour, which was, for some reason, vacated by the federal government without due consultation and without due plan in mind when they stopped doing this.

I’d like to ask the Premier, although we’ve had some money from Transportation in our government to look at studies, it’s time to stop the studies. We know what needs to be done. The harbour in Hay River needs to be dredged. Is this something that the Premier could elevate as an issue to be raised with the federal government at his level?

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Government of the Northwest Territories, we go to Ottawa and generally try to keep our asks to a manageable level. We focus on the areas of highest priority. I recognize that it’s been almost 20 years since the Hay River Harbour was last dredged, I think it was 1993-1994, and we’re quite prepared to do that in addition to spending money to do some work this summer. We have a small dredging program planned. We will also lobby the federal government.

As I said in my Member’s statement, the threat to the Hay River Harbour is really undermining the spirit and soul of our community and it is posing a serious threat to our residents as well. We cannot afford just to bury our heads in the sand and hope for the best. The Canadian Coast Guard, which amalgamated a few years back with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, has a tremendous amount of infrastructure, vessels, buildings and employees in Hay River. I’d like to ask the Premier if we could broach the federal government with the idea to perhaps, if they can’t set up another Department of Public Works in Hay River to do this, if this is an activity that could possibly be added on to an existing federal, very large department in Hay River, the Canadian Coast Guard.

I think we can do better than that. There are a number of federal funding

programs that we can access. We are working with the federal government on a Disaster Mitigation Program which we expect will be rolling out soon. We have our friends at CanNor and, also, there’s another federal funding program that we’re in discussions with the Government of Canada on. We can approach it on all of those venues as well as talking to the federal government about exactly what the Member is suggesting.

When the federal government was located in Hay River with their dredging program under the Department of Public Works, it was an annual event. This was not a one-time thing. I would like to ask the Premier if some of the funding that he’s talking about that may be available through federal programs, if this would be something that would re-establish an ongoing activity in Hay River to see that harbour kept in good condition.

We’ve done some work with our partners, specifically the Coast Guard, I think NTCL, and I think even Midnight Petroleum, and we’ve scoped out the potential costs for a very small dredging program. The cost estimate is about $2 million to $3 million. For a large dredging program it will be about $12 million. The problem, I think, that was identified by Mr. Bouchard, is that there is no existing dredge in Hay River. We would have to go and find one. I think the closest one is in the Columbia River area or we would have to go as far as the Mississippi. I think that if we do ramp up to that level, I expect if we’re going to dredge there, that would be the start so that we could look at it on a more regular basis.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In previous governments the answer that I continued to get from this government is that the dredging of the Hay River Harbour was not their responsibility, it was federal jurisdiction. What I’m hearing from the Premier today is, in fact, that the territorial government may be looking at taking this on on an ongoing basis and taking responsibility. Just to clarify, is that what I’m hearing today?

We are prepared to participate and even contribute some funding as we’re doing for the program this year, but it’s still a federal responsibility and I suspect the federal government would not want to devolve this, which is typically a federal jurisdiction.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a couple of questions for the Minister of Housing. Has the department set a date to visit the community of Aklavik for the community’s input into the new Joe Greenland Centre?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our plan is to try to get into the community as soon as possible. We recently announced the plans to replace the Joe Greenland Centre. We want to try and get in there as soon as possible. We still have about a month of winter road. I’m assuming staff from the department in Inuvik will be heading over to Aklavik to start the planning of the new Joe Greenland Centre.

I’d like to ask the Minister, will the department build a facility like the Joe Greenland Centre in Fort McPherson.

Because the Member asked, I’ll say yes, we will. As part of our announcement last week, we did announce that we were building four new seniors facilities. One of them was in Fort McPherson, the other one was in Fort Good Hope, we have one in Fort Liard, and the other one in Whati. The planning for that is in the early stages right now. We do plan to construct these in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016.

Mahsi cho to the Minister. I have no further questions.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the need for people to go on the land who have done some pretty serious damages. The people and elders in our communities talk about that. I want to ask the Minister what the status is of the two communities who have made this request; Colville Lake for integrating people back into the communities and, of course, the community of Fort Good Hope, who wanted on-the-land treatment programs for people who are sent to our correctional institutes here.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently in the Northwest Territories we only have one wilderness camp and that’s Kozo Lake camp in the South Slave. We have had a request from Fort Good Hope to actually re-engage

and reconfirm the camp that used to be in the Fort Good Hope or Sahtu area. We are having those discussions. We believe that these camps are important and provide a valuable service, and we would like to see it up and running. We still have to work out some details on the specifics for the Fort Good Hope wilderness camp but we are doing that, and hope to have some progress there. With respect to Colville Lake, it wasn’t a wilderness camp we were talking about. It was a reintegration program. We are very excited about this. This would be the first time that we’ve worked with the community and, to their credit, they were the ones who approached us and offered to work with us on a reintegration program.

We haven’t finalized any programs but I am happy to say that community members from Colville Lake recently met with some inmates from Colville Lake in the North Slave correctional facility and they were very supportive in finding ways to help that individual reintegrate back into the community, including providing logs so that the person could build themselves a home. They agreed to work with the inmate to help him find employment in the community. They’ve worked with the inmate to have him engage with youth committees and work with youth in the community. They’ve also got a plan to have them engage in some traditional activities within the community and the area. We think this is a great foundation for building the reintegration plan with the community that they have talked about, and we are still eager to do that and will continue to move forward on that.

In the latest numbers that I have received from the department, it costs the Government of the Northwest Territories about $107,000 a year per inmate to keep them at one of our correctional centres here. I want to ask the Minister what it costs to have an on-the-land program. Do they have one yet in the Territories? What does it cost for having people on the land at that type of program?

I don’t have the exact numbers for housing inmates in our facilities, but the number the Member quoted sounds right. I will confirm that actual number for the cost over a year.

As far as the exact numbers for inmates who are taking advantage of this -- and we must remember that inmates aren’t required to go to wilderness camps, they have to express desire and an interest to go to the wilderness camps -- but I will confirm to the Member what the costs are per day, but also the whole program costs as well.

I believe the Minister’s willingness. When I sat with him in Colville Lake, people and good old people, he wanted to do something different and do something that would make sense to the Aboriginals who have hurt our communities and their people. I want to ask the

Minister if there’s a possibility of possibly having some time to invite the Social Justice Committee members to go to Kozo Lake and look at that project, talk to the contractor and possibly talk to some of the people who are doing time there right now and see the benefits of on-the-land treatment programs for people in the North.

Anecdotally, we know, from speaking to some of the inmates who have attended wilderness camps, that their experience in these camps makes them better able to take advantage of other programs that may be offered in our facilities, both in treatment within the facility and outside. One thing we need to remember, and I’ve already mentioned it, is that it’s very important that inmates are actively involved in their case management discussions, which may include opportunities to go out to these camps.

Camp experience can also be very advantageous, if you will, because it helps individuals prepare to return to their communities. It helps them connect with family, connect to community supports, which is obviously essential when people are returning.

With respect to the Kozo Lake camp, which is the one camp that we do have a contract with today, I personally haven’t been there but I take the Member’s point that it may be beneficial for me, and maybe a member or two from committee, to visit this camp to get a sense of the valuable services that they can provide as far as helping us prepare inmates for reintegration back into their communities and avoid being repeat offenders.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s been estimated that 85 percent of crimes in the Northwest Territories are alcohol and/or drug related, and 90 percent of offenders in the Northwest Territories correctional facilities have addiction issues. A high percentage of these offenders and people in the correctional institutes are Aboriginal people.

What Aboriginal context, what type of Aboriginal programs do you have that are operating now in the correctional institutes that we can also possibly offer on-the-land programs?

We do know that a significant portion of the inmates within our facilities are suffering from either addictions or mental health issues. As we’ve talked about already, the camps are an opportunity to help people deal with some of their personal issues and, obviously, in the long-term, reintegrate back into society.

Within our facilities here in the Northwest Territories, we do have specific programming, traditional programming, as well as some alcohol and drug programs in the facilities to help those individuals when they’re ready to start dealing with

some of those challenges so that we can help them return to their communities and stay out of the justice system in the future. There are a number of programs. I can provide the Member and committee with a list of the specific programs that are available within each of our facilities so that they have a better understanding.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I’ll start with a simple one. I’d like to ask the Minister, what schools are on any plan at Education, Culture and Employment for renovations or replacement in the fiscal year 2014-15?

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. During the capital planning process we’ve identified some of the schools, whether it be minor renovations or major renovations, and I can provide that information. I don’t have it in front of me today. With respect to one of the schools that we are currently evaluating, it is J.H. Sissons School. There has been an education plan underway since last fall, providing the school district for their review as well. Those are just the processes we have to go through with each capital project that’s before us throughout the Northwest Territories.

I thank the Minister for that information. I’ll just have one last question. I would like to know from the Minister if he can provide me with a list of schools for the next five years that have renovations or upgrades or replacements planned.

I can provide the detailed breakdown of the number of capital projects that would be before us throughout the Northwest Territories. So I will provide it to the Members.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regard to my Member’s statement today, I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Under the declaration that was signed in 2010 on prevention and promotion by our Minister of Health, one of the guidelines is health promotion has many

approaches that should be used. It talks about helping people learn and practice healthy ways of living.

Thinking outside the box, I want to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if there are any types of programs that he’d be looking at introducing into the school that deal with healthy eating and weight loss such as the Growing Food program that is currently in the school that we saw in today’s Inuvik Drum.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. The Minister of Education, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. First, I must commend the Growing Food initiative in Inuvik. That’s a very important initiative that could be delivered as part of the programming into the community, into the schools and so forth. There are a number of programs that we have initiated such as Drop the Pop. We have a 925 intake, the highest participation rate yet. This is an area that we are very proud of. The East Three School, the secondary café, is also serving healthy, hot lunches. Those are just some of the initiatives that we have undertaken.

There are also school fund guidelines in development of Healthy Choices. We are also currently working closely with MACA and also Health and Social Services to provide more information on healthy foods and local food production such as traditional foods, vegetable fact sheets. I can provide this important list to the Members for their review.

We do know that healthy nutrition and active lifestyles go hand in hand, but sometimes it’s the nutrition that kind of takes a side to the active living and we have to start educating our students on healthy eating, but also teach them how to start producing their own foods such as this Growing Food program in Inuvik. Is there any other possibility that we can start creating this Growing Food program in other schools in other communities across the territory? Has the Minister looked at that? Also, I am aware of the no junk food policy that all the schools have.

The information I have is that we are exploring those areas. There are certain communities such as Hay River, Fort Smith, and Whati is another community, and other communities that have initiated Growing Food. This is an area where there’s a lot of interest from my department and other departments, as well, the interdepartmental working coordination. I can provide the update on the latest status from the coordination of the three or four departments that we’ve been working on.

We all know that there’s a high cost of living in the Northwest Territories, and the further you get up and the further the food has to travel to

get to the communities, sometimes when the fruits and vegetables get there they’re already turning brown. This is a great opportunity for students to learn about agriculture, learn about growing their own food, create some type of mental wellness as well as create some active living.

Would the Minister be willing to look at putting this in part of some type of curriculum for the students, that it becomes part of practical work in one of the courses and look at the options of making that part of the curriculum? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Member that this is a huge opportunity for us to look at, is the active growing throughout the Northwest Territories. We realize the higher cost of living the further up north you are. Part of the healthy choices that we are working on within our department, MACA and Health and Social Services, we have identified certain areas of initiatives, targets. What the Member is referring to is actual curriculum that he wants us to potentially explore. By all means, I will be directing my department to explore those options and those key areas. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Moses.

Mr. Speaker, I also understand that the Aurora College is proposing a Northern Farming Training Institute through the Aurora College as a program. To take this further, we can actually look at probably creating that type of curriculum in the schools.

Inuvik has been doing a fantastic job. They’ve already planted in the fall. They have everything prepared over the summer. They actually go into the greenhouse, when the greenhouse is available, and it allows the students to continue to volunteer.

Looking at that type of curriculum and working with the Aurora College on what they’re looking at proposing, is the Minister willing to work with Aurora College, try to modify the program and create some type of curriculum within the schools in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this particular initiative would have to be undertaken by various parties that will be involved, whether it be Inuvik, the schools and also the college and my department. This is an area that has been addressed to our attention on a couple of occasions already. We are definitely exploring it. We will work closely with the college. I will be presenting that to the college at the next board meeting. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 9, written questions. Item 10, returns to written questions. Mr. Clerk.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Item 11, replies to opening address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of

motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, March 4, 2013, I will move that Bill 3, Wildlife Act, be read for the first time.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 17, motions. Mr. Yakeleya.

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on February 28, 2013, it shall be adjourned until Monday, March 4, 2013;

AND FURTHER, that any time prior to March 4, 2013, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. There is a motion on the floor. Motion is in order. To the motion.

Question has been called.

---Carried

Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. WHEREAS regulating a maximum price for gasoline in the Northwest Territories would promote fairness and improve confidence for consumers and retailers throughout the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS the cost of living in the Northwest Territories is high, and volatile fuel prices have a direct impact on all consumers;

AND WHEREAS a formula used to get gasoline prices would improve fairness and transparency in product pricing;

AND WHEREAS the public deserves full disclosure of the details of the price it pays for gasoline;

AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories petroleum products division to a certain extent already regulates the price of gasoline in the communities it serves;

AND WHEREAS some Canadian jurisdictions, such as New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, regulate petroleum product prices in a manner that can avoid artificial pricing and offer a measure of equity and stability to retailers and consumers;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that the Government of the Northwest Territories investigate and evaluate the possibility of regulating gasoline prices;

AND FURTHER, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I stand, as well as a lot of Members in this Assembly will stand, with Northerners. We feel we need to be meek no more and we want to stand up against big oil and corporate greed. I need not teach this House a lesson on cost of living. It’s something we all understand very well, but the problem is Northerners are being priced out and certainly being outpaced by the cost of living here in the North.

The status quo can no longer be defended by ignoring this problem. We must call these people and these protection measures to account by asking for regulation of gasoline. The time has long passed and every Northerner out there knows it. Five provinces in Canada stand with their citizens. It’s time the GNWT stands with their citizens. We must confront the status quo by taking this fight to the very end. This hill is one worth charging up against. It’s one worth dying on. Fuel price regulation is an important issue.

Now, I expect the government to resist as they always resist all good ideas, and better yet, they will probably fight this to the very end and feel that there will be endless amounts of paperwork to justify why status quo is so important, why Northerners matter less in their view, and why big oil should be protected. I expect that fight, but concerns from Northerners about price fixing will continue until this government does something. It’s about proving the price, ensuring that our Northerners are protected.

We all see prices go up and down all over the world. They go up in Edmonton. They go up in the North, but when they go down in Edmonton, they do not go down here in the North.

People sit here puzzled, wondering why Northerners need to continue to pay unfair, high, inflated prices. The cost of living is being impacted here. It hurts every Northerner. I don’t blame the local on-the-ground vendor who does supply that fuel by the big oil. They’re just doing their job. They don’t set those prices because the people who do set those prices live in Toronto, they live in New York, they live in Houston. The only time they come north is when they want to come inspect and maybe fly north to the Sahtu or maybe in other regions to inspect their assets and maybe even go fishing. But the fact is, they have no vested interest on what it’s like with the cost of living here in the North.

The problem is simple: We need to find a solution. Five Canadian provinces had the courage to push back. Today I ask this government to have the courage and push back. Are they standing with big oil or are they standing with Northerners? It is our job to fight for Northerners and certainly for their protection and most definitely in the public’s interest.

We need a competitive environment that exists, but right now Northerners are held hostage by the prices set by those people sitting in those big offices in New York, in Toronto and Houston. They really have no idea where we are. They don’t care. They care about the bottom line, their bottom line. They care about their shareholders and their big corporate jets. They don’t care about the little grannie from Nahanni trying to put fuel in her car to go buy groceries. They don’t care about the people in Hay River who have to drive their kids to school. They don’t care about the people in Tuktoyaktuk who have to warm their cars – because if they don’t warm up, they’re hard to drive – because they want to go to Inuvik maybe to visit family. The reality is they just don’t care about Northerners; they care about their profits.

So will this government care about Northerners or will this government care about big oil? Now, government will continue the narrative about, my goodness, we have consumer protection. Well, I can tell you, for a fact, the public does not have confidence in our consumer protection and I’ll tell you why. The reality truly on the ground is they have mandate, they have no teeth to protect. Now, we could run complaints up the flagpole and go to a higher source, but the reality is, it’s too expensive for the little guy to go out there and fight the machine. It’s almost impossible to prove collusion. So apathy continues because people do not believe their government stands with them. They believe that their government has other alternative

objectives. They’re busy with other ideas, they’re busy with other things, but when does government’s attention say we must protect the cost of living of the little guy? It’s a telling story in and of itself.

I’m not suggesting government is evil or our government is evil by any ways, but I’ll say status quo in itself is evil. So the price fluctuates all over the North, but it only cranks up here for Northerners. It grows whether you live in Fort Smith, they’re all stuck the same as Yellowknife. Whether you live in Fort Providence, it sucks, the prices do not show competitive ranges and that type of philosophy must end.

Sorry, Mr. Speaker, my passion is certainly getting the best of me. It’s time this government starts fighting for the everyday citizen and defend the Northerners’ interest, the public’s interest, our interest. We must rally against the status quo. If this Cabinet wants to snuggle up warm and comfortable in the embrace of big oil and status quo, they’re welcome to, but don’t defend it to me. Defend it to the 43,000 people out these doors because they deserve answers and certainly not excuses. Remember, there are 43,000 people outside of this building right now trying to get by. So do they stand with Northerners or do they stand for big oil?

We cannot accept status quo because that’s what managers do. Leaders challenge it every day. So in closing to my opening comments, I want to say there are no 50 shades of grey on this issue; it is black, it is white. So either Cabinet will stand with the people or they’ll stand with big oil.

So, in case I forget later, I’ll say we deserve a full account of this motion. So I would like a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. I’ll allow the seconder to the motion to speak to it. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I was pleased to second this motion only because I, too, believe that if you look at the whereas it’s about taking the time to investigate how prices are set, taking the time to see how they do it in all the communities and regions. I believe that we should listen to our people as well. People want to know and they want to be assured that they’re not being gouged at the pumps and I think that’s what this motion speaks about, to investigate and evaluate the possibility of regulating gasoline prices. I see no harm in that and I think we should use our resources to try to get these answers for our people. That’s all this motion calls for. We should do our part to show the people the transparency of how they set prices and just to ensure, once again, that people aren’t being gouged at the pumps. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. To the motion. Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When I first read this motion I did have the feeling that, from a business perspective, to say, well, let’s stay fair and let business do business, but I think there’s a lot of people in the general public that are concerned with pricing and the way the pricing of fuel and gasoline happens. We have an event that happens in the Middle East one day and the next day the prices at the pumps in Hay River, Yellowknife, Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk change immediately where that has nothing to do with the inventory that sits in those tanks at that time.

So I support this motion in the fact that it gives direction for our Cabinet to investigate and evaluate the processes similar to the ones in New Brunswick and PEI, where they have a regulation in place that controls the pricing. It’s a very big cost to the Northwest Territories. Our cost of living is one of the issues that the general public is out there talking about all the time, and it doesn’t hurt us out there to investigate the possibility to do some sort of regulation.

Like the mover said, I don’t think this is dealing with the mom and pop operation that’s selling fuel. It’s more the conglomerates that are dealing the prices, the fact that Houston makes a decision that they want to increase the prices on a May long weekend or some sort of a long weekend, and then the next day it comes along and the next day the price rises, but the inventory that was there two days ago has nothing to do with the price that Houston decided they were going to charge the people for the May long weekend.

So I think we should investigate this, look at the potentials of implementing this in the Northwest Territories, and once we have that information, let’s make an assessment and let’s go from there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. To the motion. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will also be supporting the motion. At the beginning of the 17th Assembly I did pose a

question to the Minister of MACA and I asked if we could begin, as a government, to track the cost of fuel at the pumps and at the home heating delivery trucks compared to the price of crude or what other benchmarks are out there, and I believe that this was undertaken by MACA and I do appreciate that. But we are at the mercy of the folks that set these prices. It does seem curious that when the prices go up at the pump it’s an immediate reaction, and when the prices go down nothing happens. When you also compare our costs here compared to other places like northern Alberta even, I mean, there is no way that it is just transportation cost as a difference. It is far gone and above that.

So we are kind of being held hostage here on the fuel prices and the fact that this is an essential commodity, essential services are treated differently in industry and an essential commodity like home heating oil and gasoline for our vehicles is extremely essential in the North, and we don’t exactly have the opportunity to come up with other solutions in the short term. Although, Mr. Bromley would disagree with me on that.

Anyways, I will be supporting the motion. We do definitely need to look into this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. To the motion. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m conflicted about this motion. I appreciate the intent of the motion and I thank Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Menicoche for bringing it forward, but I’m not so sure that regulating our gas prices is what is required. I accept that it’s asking for an investigation, but I am particularly disturbed by the fact that Yellowknife has a gas price that is, give or take, 20 cents more than what it is in Hay River, which is 300, 500 miles away, but that does not, in my mind, explain why we have such a large difference in gas prices. So it’s very perplexing to me and I think that it’s probably more of a “local Yellowknife problem” than it is a territorial problem.

We’ve had evidence of prices going down in Hay River and in Edmonton and prices in Yellowknife staying absolutely the same, and I feel, much as many constituents do, that it’s an unfair situation. I don’t like paying $1.389 for my gas, absolutely not. But I think what is required, perhaps more so than regulation, is that we need to mobilize and consumers need to mobilize themselves. There are a number of things that consumers can do and I think probably the biggest one is certainly, if anybody changes their gas price, go buy your gas where it’s cheapest, but if all the outlets stay the same, which they have done for two years now, then consumers need to complain to the operators, need to complain to the owners. If consumers do not do that then that’s on us because we’re not letting our feelings be known to those that are supplying us with the gas.

My understanding is that it’s, and we will have differences of opinion on this, but there’s little I believe that government can do to force operators to change their prices. I accept that there’s regulation, but I’m very hesitant to suggest that regulation and forcing operators to set their prices is where we want to go.

The other thing that consumers can do that I want to mention is that we do have a Consumer Protection Act and it doesn’t have a lot of teeth in it, but there is a resolution process within that act and if consumers feel so inclined, they can go to Municipal and Community Affairs and they can lay a complaint and it can be dealt with through the

resolution process. I would encourage any Yellowknifers out there who feel that we are unjustly being treated to a high price of gas to take one of the two actions which I have suggested. I won’t vote against this motion but I will be abstaining.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. To the motion. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the mover of the motion. Obviously today, he’s very passionate, and our seconder, Mr. Menicoche. The motion really speaks more about cost of living than anything else, and it’s affecting, I think, more so the cost of living, as Ms. Bisaro said, in Yellowknife. I think that’s important that we make a note here today.

I think the question that many of us have is, why? Why do we pay more? Why do gas prices appear not to fluctuate as we possibly see in southern markets? I think that comes down to the unique type of competition that we have in the North. Our supply and demand are definitely in a bit of a premium. We have transportation costs that are incurred more so than we would see down south. Now we have bridge tolls to add on to that. We do have lower volumes per se, so that’s going to affect our prices. We definitely have generally higher overhead than most of our retailers down south. Our labour and electricity costs, for one, are going up, and our infrastructure is definitely higher.

I want to talk about our taxes for a second and I want to spend just a second on that. The NWT tax rate is set by the Petroleum Tax Act, and our tax for people who are on the highway is 10.7 cents per litre. If you’re off the highway, it is 6.4 cents per litre, which I think is an interesting disparity that we have there. To put that into perspective, Alberta is at 9 cents per litre in their tax act and if we compare that to our two territories, Yukon is 6.2 cents and Nunavut is 6.4 cents. More importantly, the fact that our tax rates have not been looked at since 1997, I think that is a dart and bull’s-eye that should be looked at as we think about this motion and the challenge.

The motion speaks to investigating and evaluating the regulating of gasoline prices. It asks some clarity that the public has been asking for. I think that’s an important point I needed to flesh out here. I don’t have a problem with the investigating part, but I do have a concern about telling retailers or the market what prices they should set. We are a free market society and I don’t want to leave that out in the cold, and I don’t want to impose any restrictions on that free market.

For the record, I have talked to many of my local retailers that sell petroleum products and I can tell you that they have been adjusting their prices according to rack rates. There is no, in my mind, collusion or price fixing that I see in my riding and I

have a number of retailers, probably more so than any of the ridings here. I just want to make sure that there is not a conspiracy out there, as probably mentioned by the Member, but maybe an observation for us to look at.

Based on what I indicated about the tax rate, I would challenge the petroleum products division to take a look at that in looking at this motion and putting forth changes here. Of course, I know that this will affect some of our revenues in the Consolidated Revenue Fund, but I think that would be justified in the eyes of the consumer. I would challenge him to look at that 10.7 cents per litre for those that are on our highway system and maybe put them on line with the non-highway rates.

Therefore, the motion speaks to investigating and evaluating and does not make direct reference to telling businesses what to do, and I think that’s important. Therefore, with that, I really appreciate Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Menicoche bringing it forward and I will be supporting this motion under those terms.