Debates of June 6th, 2016

This is page numbers 363-408 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 2nd 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

Oral Questions
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Minister’s Statement 37-18(2): Medical Assistance In Dying
Minister’s Statement 38-18(2): Funding Changes For Licensed Day Care Centres And Family Day Home
Hydraulic Fracturing Consultations
18th Legislative Assembly Mandate
Celebrating Ramadan 2016
Combating Climate Change
GNWT Summer Student Employment Program
Economic Valuation Of All-Season Road To Whati
Cultural Area at Moose Kerr School in Aklavik
Small Community Employment Program
National Indian Brotherhood Trust Fund
Tuktoyaktuk Tuberculosis Incident
Tourism Opportunities In Hay River
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Consistency Of Restraint And Reduction Initiatives
Small Community Employment Program
Economic Evaluation Of All-Season Road To Whati
Hydraulic Fracturing Consultations
Addressing Homelessness In Yellowknife
Cultural Area At Moose Kerr School In Aklavik
GNWT Summer Student Employment Program
Tuberculosis Programs
Carbon Pricing
Replies to Budget Address
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Report of Committee of the Whole
Orders of the Day

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

Stewart

Thanks, Mr. Chairman. So you'll notice I believe there's a few items there that are related to cultural aspects that have seen some changes. You'll also notice there's a new line called Arts Organizations Operating Funding, that's $460,000. I believe it's the third one down on the list of contributions.

What we've done is we've consolidated a bunch of little pots into one new line, which is that Arts Organizations Operating Fund. So there's no reduction on this funding, it's just re-profiling some of it into a standard pot so that these organizations would have to fill out fewer application forms and basically to lessen the administrative burden on this side, so it was really a consolidating of that one.

You'll notice there's changes on the Cultural Organizations line; there's changes on the Northern Arts, I believe, as well, that got changed. So it was really a consolidation into one pot from a number of different pots. Thank you, Mr. 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 Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Mr. Vanthuyne.

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

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate the identified efficiencies within the department and it is also helpful because it answered a second question that I had relative to the Northern Arts Programs. But I do still have a question on the line item of Minority Language Education and Second Language and then we say "Instruction French." We've identified it's pretty consistent there year after year. This year $2,539,000. Can I get clarification from the department on is this pot of money entirely for French? And if in fact it is, what other pots have we identified that we put towards contributions relative to the other official languages of the territory? Thank you, Mr. 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 Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Mr. Minister.

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

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

That line item is specifically for the French, and it is federal funding. For other Aboriginal languages we do have a line item at the top in the amount of $4.8 million. Our department is also looking at trying to get longer multi-year funding working with the federal government to ensure that it's sustainable funding moving forward, so that's some work that we, as a department, still got to do a little bit of work on.

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 Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Vanthuyne.

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

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I will apologize to my colleagues for overlooking the line item Aboriginal Languages right at the very top, and I appreciate the Minister for bringing that to my attention. Thank you. Those are my questions for this page right now.

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 Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Recognizing Mr. O'Reilly.

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

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. First off, I'd like to ask the Minister and his staff about the funding for Francophone affairs. It's a rather significant reduction. Last year it was $124,000 and this year it's to be $77,000. Has part of that been combined in this arts organization operating fund or can someone explain that? Thank you, Mr. 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 Daniel McNeely

Thank you Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Minister.

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

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

That funding is sunsetting and it was funding that we did give to WSEC in the contribution.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.

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

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks for that information. My other questions are I believe somewhere in this list of contributions there may be money for Dechinta and College Nordique. Can the Minister confirm that? And can the Minister also tell us whether there has been any changes in the funding these two organizations received last year as compared to them this year? Thanks Mr. 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 Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Minister.

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

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

The government does fund both College Nordique and Dechinta. It is later on in the business plan or in the main estimates under the post-secondary education.

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 Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.

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

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I will hold off on any questions around those two organizations until it comes up later. How about the NWT Literacy Council? Is it found somewhere or would founding for it be found somewhere in this list of contributions. Thanks Mr. 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 Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Minister.

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

June 6th, 2016

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

There are various areas in terms of the literacy funding. It goes up. We have a bunch of other early childhood programs as well and other healthy children initiatives. I will give it to my DM to get into more detail on that funding and how some of that is allocated. Deputy minister Stewart.

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 Daniel McNeely

Thanks, Mr. Minister. Mr. Stewart.

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

Stewart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As the Minister noted, we fund the Literacy Council through a variety of specific projects that they deliver on behalf of our department. Last year, their funding was about 922,000. A portion of it is here, but there are portions elsewhere as well for adult literacy as well as other programs. We would expect the funding to be similar this year as it was last year. Many of our contribution agreements with them are multiyear, so they are pretty consistent in terms of their funding levels. Thank you.

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 Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Mr. O'Reilly.

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

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thank you.

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 Daniel McNeely

Recognizing Mr. Testart.

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

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I note that there is a reduction for supports and other performers by just under $100,000. Can the Minister indicate if that has been rolled into this new arts organization operating funding, or if it is a straightforward reduction. Thank you, Mr. Chair.