Mr. Chair, I appreciate the comments from the Minister. Those are all my questions.
Debates of March 2nd, 2015
This is page numbers 5871 – 5908 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 going.
Topics
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Robert Bouchard
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. We’re on page 337, operations, operations expenditure summary, $11.770 million.
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
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 Robert Bouchard
Page 341, planning and cooperation, operations expenditure summary, $6.323 million.
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
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
Thank you, Mr. Chair. A couple areas that I have questions on here. First, on the land use planning side, I believe we have a role in that in the unsettled land claim areas which are extensive in the southern and western NWT. I note that we have the potential to play a GNWT lead role in land use planning initiatives in the activity description.
What are we doing to address the land use planning needs in light of the lack of land use plans for those areas? Certainly, in some areas there is no hint of them being on the horizon and yet development initiatives are out there and interests are out there and, to some extent, being foiled with the lack of planning. We’re contemplating an all-weather road through the Slave Geological Province with no land use plan in place and so on, so there’s a real need here.
What is the department doing to get after those? I think that was one of our intents of getting this new authority.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Warren
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Coincidentally, the department has, starting tomorrow, a multi-day symposium being held on land use planning to start the discussion. We had a number of discussions with a number of the affected parties on a kind of one-on-one basis, but we’re bringing a whole group of them into Yellowknife over the next couple of days to have a multi-party discussion from all different sectors to speak to how best to tackle the issues related to the lack of land use plans in the unsettled areas.
We’ve also invited as keynote speakers some of the ones in the settled areas because they can help to inform those discussions. But it’s certainly identified as a priority for the department to address land use plans. In some cases they’re looking at area-specific land use plans if there’s a particular need and it can be resolved in a shorter term rather than going with the broader, longer range, longer term comprehensive land use plan for an entire region. Those discussions are just going to take place over the next two or three days.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
Thanks to the deputy minister. That’s great to hear. I think it would be interesting to have committee become aware of the Minister’s longer term thinking on this just to see which way we’re headed. This sounds like a very reasonable first step to get all parties together and so on, but it would be interesting to know the time frames and all that sort of thing. I’m not going to take up the time here for that, but, yes, a rich area for briefings and exploration there.
My second area is I see we’re talking about putting in place a legal advisor with respect to amendments to the MVRMA, and that’s another rich area. As we know from the court’s decision earlier this week or late last week with respect to land and water boards. I know in the past, I believe it was INAC or whatever it was, AANDC had the responsibility for the five-year environmental reviews or whatever the term was, the environmental assessments for the NWT. Does this department now play that role? Are we the lead role in those five-year reviews, the second part of that? I believe that’s due this year. Where is the planning on that? Have we initiated that work and where are we at with that?
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Warren
To the last question, the environmental audit, which is due this year, is being led by the Department of ENR but with the involvement of the Department of Lands because of the overlap being responsibilities associated with things such as land use planning.
As to the long-term plans around land use planning, we would be happy to provide the Members with an update of what the outcome of the symposium is that we’re holding in the next few days. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bob Bromley Weledeh
Thank you for that response. Given the court case and things being put on hold, what is the department doing? What is the department’s role maybe in concert with other departments to shift plans to support, I guess, the current land and water boards, if I’m interpreting what I’m hearing about the court’s decision correctly, for some undetermined amount of time? What are the consequences to this department? Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Warren
The court decision is currently being analyzed internally, but we certainly were looking at it over the weekend. It is maintaining the status quo, though, in the sense that the boards that were going to become a superboard are now not going to become a superboard, so we would continue to feed into the regulatory process the same tomorrow as we are doing today. Certainly, the process always envisions something that was in the process of being reviewed by an existing board would have to continue on anyway. If there was an active water licence, it would have continued through with that existing board to the completion of that licence. The decision doesn’t affect the impact review of the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board, so it wouldn’t affect those ones that are currently in the environmental assessment process anyway.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Robert Bouchard
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Committee, we’re on page 341, planning and coordination, operations expenditure summary, $6.323 million.
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 Robert Bouchard
Thank you. Page 342, planning and coordination, grants, contributions and transfers, $600,000.
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
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
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