This is page numbers 4805 – 4846 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th 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 communities.

Topics

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Frankly, I just can’t figure out how the Minister is proud of the job he’s doing and how he keeps saying we are doing a good job when he only builds one house per community per year on average. Those statistics speak for themselves. We’ll let Northerners judge the Minister, Mr. Speaker.

In summary, 19 percent of the houses in the Northwest Territories are in core need; 31.6 percent are houses with problems of some sort. Declining funding is a terrible thing, but it is a terrible crutch to lean on that as, oh my goodness, the funding has been drying up. We have seen inaction year after year on this particular problem.

I challenge the Minister to answer this question: How is the Minister going to increase housing construction in communities for new housing as a solution going forward? Frankly, one house at a time is not solving the need. Do something today. Be bold. We need bold action.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

It’s actually 1.15, not one, as the Member pointed out before. But we’ve made significant investment in the last number of years, and I would like the Northwest Territories to be the judge of the work that the NWT Housing Corporation is doing, because they’re seeing it on the front lines. They’re seeing with the new rent scale how you go from a $4,600 full economic rent to no more than $1,600, and somebody’s rent goes from $1,200, because they’re working, to $564. I challenge anybody to say that the NWT Housing Corporation is not addressing the needs of housing across the Northwest Territories, and we’ll continue, in the fiscal environment we’re in, to try and improve the housing in the Northwest Territories.

I think, in the last number of years, again, with the working of the Legislative Assembly, the NWT Housing Corporation has done a very good job, and I would like people out there to be the judge of that. We hear a lot of comments and the housing concerns that we get from residents across the Northwest Territories. We still get a lot, but not as much as there used to be. For the most part, people are fairly pleased with services that are being provided.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of the Environment. Just a couple of questions on the cost of the Giant Mine Remediation Project now that the environmental assessment has finally been completed.

On August 11, 2014, the responsible Ministers, including our Minister, finally approved the measures coming out of the review report, and fundamental changes were made including, for example, research and development into a more permanent solution and a community-based oversight body. Those are great things, and I thank the Minister for any role he had in getting that done.

My couple of questions, first of all, given these fundamental changes, can the Minister tell the House what the new total costs are for this project?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this point there are no new costs attributed to the project. We’re looking at managing the project with the existing funds. As the work and the new direction of the recommendations are acted on, then we’ll be looking at it to see if there are any further costs that haven’t already been anticipated.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

That would be a feat, and I’ll ask the Minister to keep us updated on that.

I guess my last question is: Will there be any new costs for GNWT as a result of the final assessment?

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

At this point, not that I’m aware of.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions today for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, and it’s kind of following up on questions that I asked the Minister of Transportation in terms of subsidizing some of our small business.

Obviously, it is Small Business Week here in the Northwest Territories. I’d just like to ask the Minister, does the department subsidize any costs specifically due to the low water levels that we had on the Mackenzie River this summer? Is there any subsidy for the small businesses who might have been delayed in doing their contracts, getting work done, because they didn’t get the supplies that they needed, or is there any subsidy for any of these products that might have been spoiled or ruined because they couldn’t get up the river in time?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the best of my knowledge, I am not aware of any subsidy programs for businesses as it relates to low water levels on the Mackenzie River and the shipment of goods into the Mackenzie Delta.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

It was very unfortunate that NTCL couldn’t make one of their last trips of the Mackenzie and provide all these goods and

products to the small businesses and to the communities.

In terms of the small businesses in the community of Inuvik, are there any subsidies available for businesses where the products can’t get across the Mackenzie River and the business has to fly it in? Are there any subsidies to offset those flying costs for some of these small businesses in Inuvik?

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

I think businesses and transportation companies would carry the requisite insurance in the case that goods were spoiled or couldn’t make it there. I know in previous experience when we didn’t have a bridge across the Mackenzie River and we were in business here in Yellowknife, flying goods in was at the expense of the business. There weren’t subsidies in place to defer that cost. Businesses just had to endure those extra costs for the short period of time where there wasn’t the access that was there before.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Our small businesses provide an integral part into our communities and our economy, and the Minister did mention that in his statement.

With some of the things that are happening within the territory and with the weather and some of our infrastructure that we’re creating and causing some delays and challenges to get products to the communities, would the Minister look at some kind of subsidy for small business that has to endure some of these extra costs when such things happen such as low water levels, the road closures or ferries not operating on the basis that we’re telling them that they’re supposed to be operating? Would the Minister look at creating some type of subsidy for the small businesses?

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

This is the first time the question has been brought to me in this venue. It is something that I can take back. I think there are a couple of other departments that we should consult with, and certainly, we could have a look at it. That’s not to say it will happen, but it’s something that I think we can look at.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The time for question period time has expired. Item 8, written questions. Mr. Dolynny.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, who was appointed by Cabinet as regulator of the oil and gas operations in the Northwest Territories effective April 1, 2014.

1. At times the regulator is privy to information that

would not be in the public’s best interest to

disclose or debate, such as a company’s net profit projections. What mechanisms are in place to ensure that information disclosure will respect the public’s best interest and not place any corporation, agency or other organization at a significant disadvantage, and how will this information be dealt with in response to questions and debates within the House?

2.

How will corporate involvement and development of government programs and strategies, such as the Mineral Development and Economic Opportunities Strategy, continue under this new regime?

3. How will decisions be reached in situations

where the views of departmental advisors differ widely from the oil and gas committee or the Members of the Legislative Assembly?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committee on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Minister Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table the “Economic Opportunities Implementation Plan.”

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Minister of the Power Corporation, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents, entitled “Northwest Territories Power Corporation –

Empowering Communities, 2014 Annual Report;” and “Northwest Territories Hydro Corporation Annual Report, 2014.”

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 15, notices of motion. 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 115-17(5), Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2015-2016, Finance, Human Resources, Education, Culture and Employment, NWT Housing, 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. The Speaker has listed some of the things that are before Committee of the Whole today. What is the wish of committee? Ms. Bisaro.

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

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Madam. Chair. We would like to deal with Tabled Document 115-17(5), Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2015-2016.