This is page numbers 6419 – 6480 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 public.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. I would like to ask him questions about the 2015 NGO stabilization funding. The Non-Government Organization Stabilization Fund was established, I think, about two or three years ago now, three years, I think, and it’s been quite successful. When it was initially established there were some fairly large growing pains. Organizations had a tough time getting information. They had a very tough time in getting the money in a timely manner. Over the years, when it was with the Department of the Executive, things improved greatly.

As Members know, this was transferred to the Department of MACA in this fiscal year and I’ve learned just recently that the call has gone out. It was received on June 2nd by the non-government organizations and the turnaround time is just over two weeks.

So, Mr. Speaker, my first question in looking at the policy that sits on MACA’s website, it’s under Applications, number 4. It states: “A call for applications will be issued yearly. The call will be issued before May 31st each year. The application period will be at least three weeks and no more than five weeks long.”

So I’d like to ask the Minister how it is that the information on the 2015 fund went out on June 2nd and how the turnaround period is less than three weeks. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister of Lands, Mr. McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will commit to the Member that I will follow up on that. I appreciate her bringing it to my attention. The fact that she’s able to do that proves that we’re very capable of working together quite closely. So I will follow up on that and share it with the Member. Thank you.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thanks to the Minister for the commitment; however, it doesn’t really tell me much.

Is the Minister going to correct the time period for applications? Right now it’s less than three weeks. NGOs have a very difficult time putting things together. They’re not usually full-time people working with the organization, so I’m asking the Minister, in looking into it, will he commit to extend it to the three-week time period which is set in his policy? Thank you.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

If it’s set in a policy, and there was a bit of confusion there, once I review that and the policy says it’s supposed to be a certain time period, I will correct it. Thank you.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

I’d like to thank the Minister. I think the NGOs would certainly look forward to that correction. So I would just ask the Minister, will he advise Members as well as NGOs when he makes that decision? Thank you.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

This is a bit of a learning curve for our folks over at the department, too, because NGOs we just received, I think, on April 1st of this year, so we’re just learning this as we go along. So, I will commit to the Member that I will inform everyone involved when the decision is made. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Member for Hay River South, Mr. Bouchard.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for Minister Miltenberger. Can the Minister describe to me what the GNWT rate equalization program is?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Minister of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That fund is a Government of the Northwest Territories fund that is set up to subsidize the power rates in the NUL thermal communities, of which there are four, to subsidize those rates down to the NTPC thermal community rate and that subsidization is about half a million dollars a year of government money into the NUL subsidy of their rates. Thank you.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Can the Minister clarify which groups and which corporations are paid this subsidy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

There are four thermal communities where the distributor of power is Northland Utilities, ATCO, and in those four communities there’s a subsidy program that is funded by the Government of the Northwest Territories to make sure that the NUL rate that the customers pay is the same as the NTPC thermal rate. So, you have the two distributors and the government subsidizes to make sure that people across the Northwest Territories are treated equally when it comes to buying power in their communities, and that requires a subsidy, in this case, of half a million dollars a year.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

I’ll ask the Minister how he could describe this. Why do we do it this way as opposed to just letting the rate be in those areas and we just pay through the Territorial Power Subsidy Program?

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

The Territorial Power Support Program is geared more for residential tenants. This is a special arrangement between the two distributors and, in fact, in Hay River it is in addition to this subsidy program through the thermal communities, Hay River as well, because their rates are 30 percent higher than their neighbours. They get about $360,000 a year subsidy, as well, to be paid by the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bouchard.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am just wondering if I can get clarification. So, the GNWT provides half a million dollars to NUL to operate in the communities, not in Hay River or Yellowknife, in the other communities where it’s too costly to operate right now.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Yes, Mr. Speaker. Where the distributor is ATCO, and that’s four communities. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 9, written questions. Item 10, returns to written questions. Item 11, replies to opening address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table to following document, entitled “GNWT Response to the 2014 NWT Energy Charrette Report, June 2015.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents, entitled “Inter-activity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 for the Period April 1, 2014, to March 31, 2015,” “Program Review Office Annual Report, June 2014” and “Executive Summary: Program Review Office Annual Report 2014.” Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Public Works and Services Energy Conservation Projects Annual Report 2014-2015.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.