Debates of June 3rd, 2014

This is page numbers 4589 – 4648 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 services.

Topics

Oral Questions

Prayer

Expansion Of Single-Window Service Centres

Update On Investments In Housing Infrastructure

Generating Local Hydro Power

Wek’eezhii Land And Water Board

2014 Canadian Disability Awareness Week

Transportation Services For Seniors And Persons With Disabilities

Canadian Travellers’ Report Card

Health Coverage For Snowbirds

Transportation Issues In Nahendeh

Skills Canada Territorial Competitions

Construction Of Mackenzie Valley Highway

Maintenance And Improvements To The Dempster Highway

Top Employer Designation

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

New Energy Initiatives

Distracted Driving Programs

Highway Repair And Maintenance In Nahendeh

Mackenzie Valley Highway

Residency Requirement For NWT Health Coverage

Federal Funding For Dempster Highway Construction

Skills Canada NWT

Handi-Van Service In Hay River

Giant Mine Environmental Assessment

Action Plan For Persons With Disabilities

Evaluation Of GNWT Employer Awards

Tabled Document 93-17(5): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2014-2015 Tabled Document 94-17(5): GNWT Response To Cr 2-17(5): Report On The Review Of The 2012-2013 Public Accounts Tabled Document 95-17(5): Program Review Office 2013 Annual Report

Tabled Document 96-17(5): Junior Kindergarten – Fact Package

Tabled Document 97-17(5): Letter From Prime Minister Harper, Dated May 16, 2014, Re: Extension Of The Term Of The 17th Legislative Assembly

Tabled Document 98-17(5): Tundra Science And Culture Camp 2013 Annual Report Tabled Document 99-17(5): 2012 Annual Report Of Wildlife Research In The NWT

Tabled Document 100-17(5): Canadian Travellers’ Report Card, The Canadian Snowbird Association

Funding To Implement Junior Kindergarten

Appointment Of Sole Adjudicators

Extended Adjournment Of The House To October 16, 2014

Support Of Federal Bill C-583: An Act To Amend The Criminal Code

Recorded Vote

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Compliance Audits And Action Plans

Providing Compliance Audits And Action Plans To The Standing Committee On Social Programs

Tabling Of Modified Compliance Audits And Action Plans

Reporting By Director Of Child And Family Services

Tabling Of Annual Report Of Director Of Child And Family Services

Performance Measures Indicators

Assessment Of Financial And Human Resources For Delivering Child And Family Services

Standards And Procedures Manual

Revisions To Child And Family Services Standards And Procedures

Process For Sharing Best Practices Information

Training For Child Protection Workers

Child Protection Workers’ Recommendations For System Improvements

Funding Methodology For Regional Authorities

Caseload Standards For Child Protection Workers

Enhancement Of Aurora College Social Work Program

Front-Line Workers’ Tool To Assess Long-Term Risk

HSSas’ Compliance With Legislation, Standards And Procedures

Assessment Of Services By HSSas

Services For Youth

Comprehensive Response Within 120 Days

Ece, Education And Culture, Deletion Of $114,000 For Electronic Tablets To New Parents Under The Early Childhood Development Framework

Recorded Vote

Concurrence Of Tabled Document 93-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2014-2015

Report of Committee of the Whole

Bill 31: Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2014-2015

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 75-17(5): Concurrence Of Tabled Document 93-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2014-2015, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Yes, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, committee. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you can please escort the witness into the House.

Thank you, committee. Mr. Miltenberger, for the record, could you please introduce your witness back to the House.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thanks, Mr. Chairman. I have with me Mr. Warren St. Germaine, assistant deputy minister and comptroller general from the Department of Finance. Thank you.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Again, welcome back, Mr. St. Germaine. Committee, I will now open up the floor to general comments. Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a quick question. Is it written off, forgiven, or how do we address an issue of somebody having rental arrears that’s on the list that I know still lives in public housing? Thank you.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. For that, I’ll go to Mr. St. Germaine.

St. Germaine

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Most of the rental arrears are dealing with individuals who are deceased and so on. I’m not aware of individuals who, in fact, have rental arrears that we’re forgiving that are still in public housing. Presumably the Housing Corporation would have reviewed their files to determine the validity of the amounts being presented, but we can pursue that, if you wish.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. St. Germaine. Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

I guess, by what method or measure shall I pursue this matter if I see someone on the list who is alive, who has rental arrears under this act? Thank you.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Clearly, the Member and I would not want to engage in that type of discussion in the House, so if the Member would share that information with us, we would make sure it gets forwarded on to the Housing Corporation to be tracked down and sorted out. Thank you.

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

I’m fine with that and I’m happy to start straightening it out as soon as I’m done talking here.

The only issue I would have then, is if we passed this act noting the amounts, does that stop us from pursuing it through other methods? Especially when I know they’re alive. I know, roughly, where they live. I can’t 100 percent guarantee that they’re in public housing, but I do believe they are. So I can at least say confidently, two out of the three I can check off with great confidence.

So how do we deal with this? If we pass the act, have we taken away our ability to pursue this money? Thank you.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. A process question, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. By definition, forgiveness is just that. Once the bill is passed, there’s going to be some investigation that’s going to be required. There might be factors that the Member is not aware of, that we’re not aware of, things like was the person indigent.

In terms of the Member’s concern, at this point, once this bill is passed, it is forgiven once it’s given assent by the Commissioner.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, in essence… I mean, I’m happy to provide the name and I’ll do that, like I said, once I’m done here in this process. But, frankly, once we pass it, what’s the point of giving the name to the Minister if we can’t pursue it? I guess that’s what I’m getting at, is should we pause on a certain section without identifying anybody in particular? I’m just trying to get a sense, because I think I just stated that once its forgiven it’s forgiven, there’s nothing to pursue at that point. So I’m just sort of lost on the process here, and I think that it’s a fair question.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Looking through the file, there is only one individual that’s not deceased on the list. The information was provided to all the Members, including for all those accounts that are up for forgiveness. So I would suggest from the information that we have that it’s a justifiable forgiveness. Thank you.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Committee, we’re just going to take one quick second here. Thank you.

Thank you, committee. Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister and I just had a sidebar. My questions have been completely cleared up. I guess in my case, my concern, yes, has been validated, but the Minister has shown me reasons why it deserves, and I will respect that and not pursue it any further. Thank you.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. I’ll go on to Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I also have a process question here and I don’t believe we discussed it. It may have come to my mind after we went through the bill at committee, but if an amount in here, for instance, an amount that is to be forgiven, if it is not written off first, if it goes straight to forgiveness of debt and it’s now written off, how then is it accounted for in the public accounts? The

comptroller general referenced that write-offs are part of the doubtful accounts in the books, but if it goes straight to forgiveness of debt, how is it accounted for? Thank you.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. For that, we’ll go to Mr. St. Germaine.

St. Germaine

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In terms of accounting for forgiveness and bad debts, basically what occurs in government and public agencies when we look at our accounts receivable, we look at the likelihood of collection and we generate what’s called an allowance for doubtful accounts. When that’s generated, when that amount’s determined, the charge is made either to the appropriation, in the GNWT’s case, or against expenditures from the public agency. So the expense is recorded in the year that the recoverable amount is considered to be impaired. So, from an accounting perspective and evaluation perspective, that’s taken account of and taken care of during the audit of the preparation of annual financial statements. The write-off and forgiveness is an event that happens subsequent to that. Not all accounts that are allowed for are necessarily written off. We may, in fact, collect on them later. Similarly, all accounts don’t necessarily find their way to forgiveness. Thank you.

Debates of June 3rd, 2014

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