This is page numbers 4511 – 4544 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 work.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to continue on with my question on the issue of hydraulic fracking. I want to ask the Minister of ITI in his capacity with this information.

I spoke to one of the leaders from Fort Liard. The leader had said that they did have some fracking in his region. Have there been any other types of fracking in the Northwest Territories in the last 15 or 20 years?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe there has been some, but it was not horizontally drilled and fractured but vertically drilled and fractured. I believe there has been some in the Northwest Territories over the past few decades. Thank you.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, the commonality that we have is there have been fracking operations in the Northwest Territories. Vertical, or the new one now we are using is called horizontal, so there has been fracking in the Northwest Territories.

I would like the Minister to provide me with more detailed information as to what type of impacts it had in those regions.

Have there been environmental studies? Is water being studied after that, or the air, the animals? That is so we have some baseline information as to where those actual fracking operations went in the Northwest Territories. Can the Minister do that?

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Mr. Speaker, we would be happy to try and get that information together for the Member. Back in the ‘70s near the Northwest Territories/British Columbia border, there was some fracking that took place and, again, at Beaver River. I would be happy to get that information for the Member. Thank you.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, also I would ask the Minister, given in the time of the ‘70s, what type of authority, what type of working relationship and if it’s possible that when that fracking operation happened at Beaver River. I’m not too sure where exactly it is and what type of impacts we are seeing today in 2014 from that operation even though it is a vertical frack. A frack is a frack is a frack. I want to ask the Minister if that is possible.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Mr. Speaker, all those operations would have been under COGOA back in the ‘70s with the federal government. We will do our best to try to get that information for the Member. Of course, now we are responsible for onshore regulation of oil and gas here in the Northwest Territories. I will make a commitment to the Member that we will try our best to get that information to the Member. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, I certainly look for that information. I want to ask my last question to the Minister and to his colleague, that the Sahtu people have a land claim, a constitutionally protected document that was negotiated by the guidance of our elders in the Sahtu to take control of our destiny.

What type of approach is set by this department and this government on another protected area that is protected by the Constitution and jurisdiction as how do we work in relationship with land claim organizations that have these types of protection in regards to decision-making authorities on types of economic opportunities that are in that region?

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Mr. Speaker, the land claim is a very powerful tool for the people of the Sahtu and a valuable tool in that I do understand there are subsurface rights included in that land claim. As far as our government is concerned, we need to continue to work with the leadership in the Sahtu, and decisions are going to have to be made together with the people of the Sahtu so that they can get their way forward by working together with

us. That is the way things are going to continue to happen. We have a track record of continuing to work with the Member, the leadership in the Sahtu, and we are going to continue down that path. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Item 8, written questions. Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. The department provides funding to eight district education authorities in the NWT according to a predetermined formula. Elementary and secondary school contributions are provided to education authorities based on government priorities and education needs. This funding framework plays a pivotal role in directing and supporting education councils to achieve education objectives. School contributions are calculated based on enrolment and to cover annual operating and maintenance costs.

1. Provide a breakdown showing the comparison

of GNWT funding for divisional education councils to the Yellowknife education authorities.

2. In this comparison, include the total student

enrolments per divisional education council and district education authority and any special funding that they receive; for example, small school allocations, inclusion funding, et cetera.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. 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 committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, June 2, 2014, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, that the Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services devise a system of compensating medical and non-medical travel escorts for their time, with the goal of implementing the system in the fiscal year 2015-16; and further, that the government provide a

comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, June 2, 2014, I will move that Bill 28, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015, be read for the first time. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 17, motions. Colleagues, we will call a 15-minute break.

---SHORT RECESS

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Item 18, first reading of bills. Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 27, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2014, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Bill 27 has had first reading.

---Carried

Mr. Bouchard.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscites Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Bill 26 has had first reading.

---Carried

Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, 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 call Committee of the Whole to order. We have one item before us today on our agenda, Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act. What is the wish of the 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 Bill 24 today.