This is page numbers 2389 – 2428 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 community.

Topics

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my Return to Written Question 7-17(4), I wish to table the following document, entitled GNWT Positions to Population Ratio as at December 31, 2012.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled GNWT Response to Committee Report 6-17(3), Report on Hydraulic Fracturing Study Tour: Toward a Policy Framework for Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northwest Territories.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Item 15, notices of motion. Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, March 8, 2013, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Ms. Colette Langlois be appointed Acting Clerk of the

Legislative Assembly for the period of August 15, 2013, to August 14, 2014, by the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories as recommended by the Board of Management of the Legislative Assembly.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 9-17(4), NWT Main Estimates, 2013-2014; and Bill 1, Tlicho Statutes Amendment Act; Municipal and Community Affairs, Justice, and Executive, 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 is the wish of the committee today? 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. Committee wants to continue our deliberations here on Municipal and Community Affairs and, time permitting, we would like to talk with Justice and Executive.

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

Is

committee agreed?

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

We will take a brief break and continue with that.

---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’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. When we departed yesterday from this Chamber, we were considering Municipal and Community Affairs, activity summary, public safety, operations expenditure summary, and page 6-17. I’ll 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

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

I would, Madam Chair. Thank you.

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 McLeod. Does the 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. Thank you. I’d ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses to the table.

For the record, Minister McLeod, could you please introduce your witnesses?

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

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Madam Chair. With me I have, to my left, Mr. Tom Williams, deputy minister, Municipal and Community Affairs. To my immediate right I have Mr. Gary Schauerte, director of corporate services, Municipal and Community Affairs, and Ms. Eleanor Young, who is

the assistant deputy minister, Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you.

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 McLeod. Municipal and Community Affairs, activity summary, public safety, operations expenditure summary, $1.629 million. Mr. Hawkins.

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

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think I just have one question. I think we’ve cleared up everything, as far as I’m concerned, and I just want to say I think I just have one question. It speaks more to the philosophy. I think the Minister’s heard enough from me about my concerns on consumer affairs and whatnot. I’d kind of like to bottle it up and maybe I’ll call it one, hopefully, clear ask, which is: What can the Minister do about the somewhat public anonymity that hides behind consumer affairs?

I’m not suggesting they’re not trying to reach out there, but I think there’s a general perception from the public that they don’t exist. I guess if I could qualify that it may not be feasible to create a storefront objective, and I want to be clear, that’s not what I’m asking, but they don’t seem to have a prominent public face, so when we do have problems with the Bell cell phones, for example, prices, or we have gas price issues, or other types of issues, the public feels there’s nowhere to go, nowhere to complain, and they end up on our desks, as MLAs, to ask what do we do, and they feel this relentless sense of exhaustion and it just seems to poke away.

If I can get some insight from the Minister as to what he can do under his stewardship of this department to help bring up the profile of consumer affairs, and what they can do and how they’re seen and perceived in the public, that would be very helpful. I think that’s really the only area of concern I have as far as MACA is concerned.

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 McLeod.

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

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Madam Chair. What I can commit to the Members of this Assembly is that we’ll try and work a communications plan and let the public know that there is a consumer affairs division. We’ll actually let all Members of the Assembly know the consumer affairs division we have. We’ll give them a name and number that they can possibly pass on to any constituents that might be calling them. I think that will go a long ways into getting our consumer affairs department more in the forefront. I understand, with things going the way they are going now and many of the issues that are being raised by consumers out there, I think it is to their benefit if we publicize the office a bit more. I will commit that we will do that. 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

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

The only thing I want to reaffirm is I’m not suggesting in any way they’re doing anything bad. I just think that they are a little-known office. They fall through the cracks of public view and they tend to get forgotten. Again, I just want to make sure it is absolutely clear. It’s nothing that they’re not doing. It is a question of just how they blend into the folds of government and the public loses sight of that and certainly what role they play. That’s all I have. Thank you.

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. Hawkins. I will take that as a comment. Next on the list I have 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. As I indicated in my general comments, I’ve been asking the Minister and his department, numerous times in the last 16 or 17 months of being a Member of this Assembly, on areas of hazard and fire assessments, emergency action plans and how we are moving along in trying to make our communities much more safe and probably more integrated into a real-time database.

First of all, the information we have right now with respect to emergency action plans, is this available in real time? Is this something available that if phone numbers change, it is systematically updated, there’s a network of updates that happen across the board? Is this a real-time management program in action? Thank you.

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. Minister McLeod.