This is page numbers 2725 – 2750 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

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is about the Department of Education, Culture and Employment proposal for minimum wage adjustment, specifically to the

committee that has been established by the Minister to review the NWT minimum wage.

Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Speaker. I’m very glad the Minister sees the need for a regular review for the minimum wage, but I can’t agree with the Minister’s suggestion to strike a committee to review and set regulations.

I feel it’s overly bureaucratic and, quite simply, unnecessary. I have concerns with both the makeup of the committee and the length of the proposed terms for committee members. As was originally proposed, the Minimum Wage Adjustment Committee would be comprised of five members: one business owner, one employee and three GNWT employees.

Since the announcement of the committee makeup, two groups have written to the Minister expressing their concerns. Both Alternatives North and the Northern Territory Federation of Labour voiced their disapproval of the committee makeup. I’m pleased that the Minister has responded positively to those concerns. Both the NWT Chamber of Commerce and the Northern Territory Federation of Labour have been in invited to appoint a member to that committee. They are a business and labour organization respectively. Alternatives North has been invited to submit a nomination for committee member. Whether that means they will have representation on the committee or whether they are invited to nominate a candidate who will be considered along with all other candidates is not clear to me. The other three committee members are proposed to be GNWT employees.

But seriously, Mr. Speaker, what do our employees know about the impacts of minimum wage? I don’t think this will be in the realm of their experience. It’s best stated by Ben McDonald of Alternatives North who wrote, “We consider that the committee should have a more diverse representation including a labour representative and an individual who has lived in poverty.” That said, Mr. Speaker, if this committee is structured properly, they would set the minimum wage at a living wage rate, make themselves redundant and we wouldn’t need a committee anymore.

Both Alberta and the Yukon currently peg the annual increases to the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index. Minimum wage concerns are addressed to the Employment Standards Board or the Department of Labour. It’s a great system that works well for them and it could work well for us. I fail to understand why the NWT has created an extra level of bureaucracy and paperwork.

We say we strive for efficiency in government. This is a step towards inefficiency, in my view. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have spoken before about the difficulties families in Tsiigehtchic face in finding good homes for their children when they have to complete high school in Inuvik. The local district education authority has a potential solution for the problem. It plans to bus students in grades 10 and 12 to Fort McPherson each day. Busing would not be first on all students who cannot complete high school studies in Tsiigehtchic. It will be an option for those who find Fort McPherson a more appropriate choice. It is difficult for high school students to leave home, and busing would keep families together longer.

It was a very practical idea, Mr. Speaker. The two communities are only 57 kilometres apart. Family and cultural ties are very close. I am pleased to point out that there is a precedence for daily short haul busing of students. This has worked out very well for students from Enterprise who go to Hay River. That is a 42-kilometre commute, so it is fairly comparable to the situation in Tsiigehtchic.

Of course, there’s a modest cost to begin busing students to Fort McPherson. An appropriate vehicle, driver and insurance will be needed, but I believe it will eventually prove cheaper and better than sending students to Inuvik, at least some students. I will be asking the Education Minister to fund a pilot project through the Beaufort-Delta Education Council.

Mr. Speaker, I want to comment briefly about traditions. We support many traditions, but some are not very great. Delta communities have a tradition of sending their students to Inuvik. It’s now automatic, that’s what we do. But where did that come from? It began with residential schools. We all know it’s a very painful period in our history. Our people, our schools and our governments are moving beyond that now. I am very glad with all the progress we’ve made.

The DEA’s idea to bus students from Tsiigehtchic to Fort McPherson is one step in that progress, and we should support it.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today with concerns that I’ve expressed in the House before about NWT commercial vehicle issues.

I continue to hear complaints about how there are inconsistencies between the jurisdictions of NWT and Alberta, where we get the majority of our commodities from. In this House I’ve talked about tri-drives, and the fact that the GNWT and the NWT motor vehicles don’t recognize the tri-drive vehicle heavy truck. There’s an extra axle, but it’s supposed to be better for the roads. Some of the government departments actually request this type of truck when they’re transporting some of the heavy equipment that’s on the highways out there today.

Other inconsistencies between jurisdictions are we currently require them, in our jurisdiction, to have a commercial licence plate on the front. In Alberta they require that in the back of the truck where, in theory, the person, the trucker is supposed to get out of the vehicle and change licence plates when he gets to the Northwest Territories. When he goes back into Alberta, he’s supposed to turn around and put it back on to the back end of the vehicle. Also, wide load sign regulations are completely different in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

There are other areas in the regulations that are affecting people in our jurisdiction. I have heard some of this is due to the new bridge tolls, but commercial vehicles or commercial pickups that are over 4,500 kg require a class 3 driver’s licence. That means if you have a one-ton pickup pulling a trailer, you are now required to have a class 3 driver’s licence. There are a lot of companies out there that have people that have a class 5 driver’s licence doing whatever commercial work, driving a one-ton pickup, just the pickup, but it’s pulling a trailer, so now it’s over 4,500 kg. Now those people, they have to get a class 3 licence in order to do that. That’s very ineffective for people to work. In Alberta, a pickup is a pickup. It doesn’t matter what it’s pulling.

The way it’s set up right now is those people could take their driver’s licence under that configuration.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Under current regulations they could get a class 3 driver’s licence driving a one-ton pickup pulling a trailer, and then turn around and jump into a gravel truck fully loaded with gravel out on our commercial highways, and if they got the air brake endorsement, they could jump in that gravel truck, but only getting it with a pickup truck.

It just seems that we have too many inconsistencies and our regulations are not conducive to business in the Northwest Territories. We need to look at these regulations. It just seems like the Department of Transportation seems to be slowing down the working class in this territory.

I will have questions for the Minister of Transportation later today.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Real Estate Appraisals
Members’ Statements

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to talk today about a bunch of real estate concerns that I’ve seen go by without any particular attention that needs to be brought to it. Most people in the Northwest Territories will know that there is no current legislation or regulation that oversees real estate appraisals, which is kind of a weird situation because if there’s no regulation or legislation, who knows how these things are being performed? In other words, who’s keeping an eye on industry, and certainly, who’s keeping an eye out for hard-working families.

There can be many problems that can arise from that particular situation. For example, banks and lenders rely on accurate appraisals to ensure that these things are done properly. The ramification can be serious. The impacts, we have to look no further than south of the Canadian border to see what happens from a bad ripple effect of unappreciated, unaccredited over-financing linked to bad appraisals.

There are remedies, and the Appraisal Institute of Canada has brought forward initiatives and, of course, high-quality professionalism and training since 1938, but these regulations and legislation requirements aren’t here in the Northwest Territories. However, Alberta, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick all require this.

Real estate concerns don’t end there. In this House I’ve asked for disclosure agreements. As most people will know, I think the only thing that a person has to disclose is if somebody died in a particular house. But what happens if someone is covering up mould? What if someone is covering up a cracked foundation? Other jurisdictions require this, again, for the hard-working families that are put into jeopardy if these types of things emerge, because the person selling the home covers it up and pretends they were never there.

Again, I think mentioned by Member Dolynny not too long ago, real estate sales people can represent both sides. So the bottom line is: Who is representing the interests of which person, whether they’re representing the seller, whether they’re representing the buyer, and does the new buyer realize that and fully understand the fact that the real estate person represents the seller?

The final issue I want to talk about under real estate concerns are a new home warranty. Many jurisdictions feel it’s very important, such as Ontario, that they protect their citizens by ensuring

that new homes built come with a new home warranty.

So there are a lot of things that need to be done. Again, I call upon this government to start watching out for the hard-working Northerners who work hard to raise as much money as they can to buy their family home, the biggest treasure in their life.

I will have questions later today for the MACA Minister. Thank you.

Real Estate Appraisals
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Graduations In Inuvik
Members’ Statements

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Along with my colleague from Inuvik Boot Lake, I want to offer my congratulations to those that are graduating from high school in Inuvik, the first graduating class of the new East Three School, which may have some challenges but the students surely enjoy it.

Also, he talked about the learning centre completion ceremony, and it’s always one ceremony that I never have an opportunity to make because we’re normally in session. But it’s a very important ceremony because many of these students have left school, they’ve gone back and got their grades upgraded and then they can get into mainstream college programs. So I’ve always been quite proud of the students that have gone through that program. I know a number of them that have gone through Aurora College and gone on to bigger and better things and I totally commend them for that.

Also, the Aurora College in Inuvik had their graduation recently and, unfortunately, again I was unable to make that event, but my colleague and I will be at the Inuvik graduation ceremony tomorrow. I think as an Assembly we have so many opportunities coming down the line.

You’ve heard Mr. Miltenberger talking about the fibre optic line. We’ve got the Inuvik-Tuk highway; we’ve got, potentially, the Mackenzie Valley Highway and all the work going on in the Sahtu. There’s just a tremendous amount of opportunity out there for our students, and I think as leaders from across the Northwest Territories, I think we should do what we can to encourage our students to take advantage of those opportunities. With devolution coming, that’s going to open up many more new doors.

So I’m very proud of the students of the Northwest Territories. Many of them have overcome challenges to get into the position where they are and I think their efforts – and as long as you put some effort into it, you will get something out of it – should be commended and should be applauded. Thank you.

Graduations In Inuvik
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. I, too, would like to congratulate the students in Inuvik. My god-daughter is there. Nicole Jacobson is graduating there tomorrow and I’m sorry I couldn’t attend due to business here. All the best to her and all the best to the graduating class.

Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, and I want to follow up on my Member’s statement in which I said I was very impressed with the way the Economic Opportunities Panel heard and documented our citizens’ grassroots visions for the future of our economy. We have the input and now we must put it into action.

Can the Minister explain the process and timing for bringing this input to a final strategy and confirm that the strategy will include an action plan of costed, concrete measures to put the ideas into action? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have to congratulate the advisory panel in the work that they did around the Northwest Territories in meeting with stakeholders. This is all about partnerships and building those solid relationships. We had a number of partners in this effort.

We are going to be moving the work forward. The What We Heard report that was tabled will be turned into an action plan. We hope to have that action plan to the House and to standing committee sometime toward the end of September.

You don’t get into an effort like this with the partners we have and not put something forward that we are going to be able to accomplish in the life of this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

I’d like to thank the Minister. I’d also like to thank very much all the public, our citizens who took the time to participate and contribute to our ideas.

A major point raised in the continuing economic drain of fly-in/fly-out employees from other jurisdictions has been raised before. We have socio-economic agreements with hiring targets, but the targets aren’t being met and government isn’t being firm, insisting on better results.

How does this government intend to move now to call the big companies to book on their performance and up their proportion of NWT resident employees? Mahsi.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

My belief is that we have to do more training; we have to get more of our own people trained and ready for the jobs that are coming in industry, and my belief is we can do that. Some of the recommendations contained in the What We Heard report would suggest that the government needs to address the training component. If we can train more people, we’ll keep more people at home and have less of the fly-in/fly-out type of workers.

I should also mention that the new ownership at Ekati, Dominion Diamond Mining Corporation, certainly is looking at ways to try to keep their workforce here in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

I’ll look forward to a lot more fleshing out in the weeks to come here. For our community residents, mega projects clearly aren’t the priority, though. Our citizens stress the benefits of locally controlled, sustainable businesses that will take us through boom and bust. Yet this government’s focus continues to be the huge developments local people can least control, and as we see from fulfilment of hiring targets and fly-in workers aren’t delivering full benefits here.

I’m wondering: How does the Minister intend to really take this input to heart and turn the super-tanker approach of government policy towards a local fleet of small but priority opportunities and benefits? Mahsi.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Mr. Speaker, I’m not quite sure how the Member believes that we’re only concentrating on mega projects. With an effort like the Economic Opportunities Strategy clearly in place, we are planning to move forward with diversifying the economy. We know we can’t do it on large projects alone. That’s why we started this effort and that’s why we’re going to see it through. That’s why we’re going to come up with an action plan that’s going to see us move forward on areas like agriculture, forestry, fisheries and the traditional economy here in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks for the Minister’s comments. The renewable energy development to cut the costs for families and businesses were also emphasized by the public. At a time when electricity rates are guaranteed to increase by 7 percent per year and heating costs have soared, how will the Minister ensure that the strategy reflects an emphasis on shifting from

expensive imported fossil fuel to renewable energy? Mahsi.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Mr. Speaker, that goes without saying. I mean, that is always something that this government is continuing to pursue.

We’re developing an Energy Strategy and we need to find ways to get communities off of diesel. Our intention is to do just that. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about real estate problems from appraisals to disclosure agreements, real estate sales people working for both ends of the transaction and, finally, new home warranty.

My question to the Minister responsible for the situation or this area of governance would be R.C. McLeod from MACA. What I’m going to ask him to do is rather than try to explain why we’re not doing stuff, would he be willing, as Minister, to look into the situation to see if we can balance some of these concerns and report back to the House with a bit of a plan, not necessarily bringing forward legislation or regulation, but a plan or strategy on how we can deal with some of these anomalies in our system that aren’t protecting our Northerners at this time? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will commit to the Member that we will gather some information and report back to the Member and Members of this House. Thank you.