Debates of June 8th, 2016

This is page numbers 455-492 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 communities.

Topics

Oral Questions

Prayer

Minister’s Statements 41-18(2): Energy Initiatives Of Public Works And Services

Minister’s Statement 42-18(2): Update On The Northwest Territories Power Corporation

Minister’s Statement 43-18(2): Northwest Territories Climate Change Strategic Framework

Minister’s Statement 44-18(2): Development Of The NWT Energy Plan

Need For Suitable, Adequate And Affordable Housing

Impact Of Migration On Homelessness In Yellowknife

Community Housing Development Plans

Addressing The Need For Affordable Rental Units

Self-Government Initiatives In The Sahtu

Employment Opportunities Relating To Housing Construction

Territorial Housing Issues

Economic Solutions To Reduce Need For Subsidized Housing

Ulukhaktok Arena Closure

Congratulations To Echo Dene School Graduates

Midwifery Services In The Northwest Territories

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Construction Schedule For Charles Tetcho School In Trout Lake

Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Communications Strategy

Improvements To Housing Corporation

Supporting Housing First Clients

Implementing The Deline Community Self-Government Agreement

Reducing The Need For Emergency Shelter Services

Costs Associated With Modular Homes

Midwifery Services

Responsibilities Associated With First Nations Housing

Ulukhaktok Arena Remediation

Replies to Budget Address

Tabled Document 56-18(2): Report Of The Northwest Territories Judicial Remuneration Commission 2016

Tabled Document 57-18(2): Northwest Territories State Of The Environment Report Highlights 2016

Tabled Document 58-18(2): North Slave Resiliency Study Final Report

Consideration in Committee of the Whole on Bills and Other Matters

Motion 30‑18(2): Tabled Document 50‑18(2) Main Estimates 2016‑2017 Environment And Natural Resources, Corporate Management Operations Expenditures (Pg. 87) Reinstatement Of Funding For Public Education Coordinator In Field Support Unit

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Mr. Campbell.

Campbell

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That aspect of the homes, the wood-burning initiatives, that transferred over the Public Works with the transfer of the alternative energy programs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Mr. Blake.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

That's about it, Mr. Chair. Thanks.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Further comments or questions on page 92. I see none. Oh, Mr. McNeely.

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Yes, I'm back, Mr. Chair. I just want to add to the biomass. Currently underneath construction right now, there's facilities and piles being done in two of the communities, one in Fort Good Hope to support the biomass structure there for the school and the school in Tulita, as well, and there's a number of buildings and a storage facility, a yard storing pellets to supply the need. Now, if the principle on savings is going to see this government realize benefits such as we are currently seeing on the solar panel project in Colville Lake, I think we should strongly consider continuous support for the biomass. If it is working, are we are going to realize benefits and a reduction in fuel consumption?

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Would the Minister like to respond? Minister Schumann.

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Like the deputy minister said, this initiative has been moved over to Public Works and Services, so I remind Members that questions on that initiative would be geared towards them. But the other thing is that on the fuel savings, I think it was predicted a 30 per cent savings on most biomass applications. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister Schumann. Anything further, Mr. McNeely?

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

None, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Seeing no one else on my list for page 92, we can move on to 93, page 93. Comments or questions on page 93? Environment, active positions. I see none. We can turn back to page 91, Environment, operations expenditure summary. Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. First, I want to start off by reassuring the Minister that in no way was I ever questioning his integrity earlier in the House and in the Committee of the Whole. The fact that we may agree to disagree or question things is no basis for questioning somebody's integrity. In any event, I firmly support the work of this department, but I did want to ask a question about the waste reduction line on page 91: last year, we had $100,000 in the budget, and this year there's none. I think it may be because there was some extra funding providing there to allow for some program development around electronics recycling, but a lot of that work is funded through the Environment Fund, which is supposed to be sort of a separate, self-sustaining fund. I just want to confirm whether that's what's happened here and that any further ongoing work with regard to adding more materials to the recycling basket, shall I say, would get funded from within the fund, the Environment Fund, itself. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Ms. Kelly.

Kelly

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This $100,000 is a reduction, and the reason that that reduction can occur is because the program development money can come from the environment fund. The Environment Fund right now has a balance of $2.1 million, so there's room in that fund for this work to be done through the Environment Fund. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Kelly. Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Yes. Thanks for that–. There's another page in here for the Environment Fund, so we'll have another chance to look at that, but I appreciate the answer. You know, we don't want to develop a fund and keep running a big surplus in it. That's not the purpose of it, so I'm fine with this. I know, earlier today, the Minister made a statement about the Climate Change Strategic Framework, and I think I heard that we had a climate change strategy at one point. We also had a Greenhouse Gas Strategy 2011, 2015, and that's winding down, and that there's now going to be an effort to bring together all of these plans into, or strategies into, the Climate Change Strategic Framework. I just want to confirm that, Mr. Chair. Thanks.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

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

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Yes, that's correct, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

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

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair, and, as I recall, the consultations on this Climate Change Strategic Framework are going to start very shortly so that they could feed into whatever positions that the government might bring forward in terms of the national work that's being done on climate change. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

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

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. We're going to be rolling this out as early as this month on the engagement strategy. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

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

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

I look forward to that very much. Thanks.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

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

Debates of June 8th, 2016

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