Debates of Feb. 28th, 2017

This is page numbers 1991 - 2054 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 community.

Topics

Oral Questions

Prayer

Minister’s Statement 145-18(2): Progress In Negotiating Land, Resources And Self-Government Agreements

Western Canada Lottery And Sutcliffe Report

Department Of Justice Progress Report On Governance Access And Privacy

New Behchoko Sports And Recreation Complex

Fortieth Anniversary Of Northern United Place

Unified Vision And Strategy For The Northern Territories

Small Business Incentives

Hockey Tournaments In Nahendeh

Supports For Priority Hiring Candidates Under The Affirmative Action Policy

Benefits Of Sport And Traditional Games For Indigenous Athletes

Aklavik Road Repairs

Federal Review Of Laws And Policies Related To Indigenous Peoples

Strategy For Revitalization Of The Great Slave Lake Fishery

Committee Report 7-18(2): You Are Standing For Your People: Report On The Review Of The Members’ Conduct Guidelines

Motion To Receive Committee Report 7-18(2) And Move Into Committee Of The Whole

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Federal Review Of Laws And Policies Related To Indigenous People

Unified Vision And Strategy For The Northern Territories

Critical Incident Investigation Recommendations

Process For Filling Unfunded Positions

Supports For Priority Hiring Candidates Under The Affirmative Action Policy

Arsenic Levels In Kam Lake

Earnscliffe Strategy Group Contract

Western Canada Lottery And The Sutcliffe Report

Aklavik Road Repairs

Housing Engagement Survey

Lobbyist Registry Proposal

Junior Kindergarten Funding And Implementation

Tabled Document 303-18(2): Government Of The Northwest Territories Response To Committee Report 3-18(2): Report On The Review Of The 2014-2015 Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission Annual Report

Tabled Document 304-18(2): Follow-Up Letter For Oral Question 477-18(2): Housing Engagement Strategy

Tabled Document 305-18(2): Federal Lobbyist Registration For Earnscliffe Strategy Group

Tabled Document 306-18(2): White Paper On The Independence And Accountability Of Election Administration In The Northwest Territories

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Justice, Deferral Of Further Consideration Of The Estimates For Justice

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Municipal And Community Affairs, Deferral Of Regional Operations Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Municipal And Community Affairs, Deferral Of Sport, Recreation And Youth Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Municipal And Community Affairs, Deferral Of Further Consideration Of The Estimates For Municipal And Community Affairs

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 66-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Justice, Deferral Of Further Consideration Of The Estimates For Justice, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that. Can she please tell me if it was broken or not broken? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In my opinion, I try to be as fair as possible within reason. When I look at the whole of the Northwest Territories, and I see that within five regions, we are only providing support to three regions, then yes, the system is broken. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for her answer. I guess we are going to have to disagree on this. Unfortunately, she makes the decisions, and I do not. We will have to live with that.

In regards to the recreation funding, the honourable Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh talked about it. When was the last time this program has been evaluated? In other words, the funding that is being allocated per community, when was the last time it was evaluated besides when it was implemented? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Currently, I do not have that information on hand. What I can state, though, is that we are meeting with the five sports and recreation organizations, and at that point, we will be looking at every single sport and recreation program that we have. We will be putting them on the table with the funding levels to determine if they are still relevant, if we are providing overlap, if there are areas that we need to increase or decrease on, so we are going to be doing a full review with the five organizations on our sports and recreation programs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. She is talking about the five organizations, and I totally understand that, but this is community municipal funding contribution that is going to the community. It is not going to the regional associations. If they are going to be putting this on the table, will the Minister invite to have the communities sit at this table as well? I know they have regional associations that represent, but we are talking about money that is going directly to the communities. Will the Minister confirm that if this money is on the table, will they make that commitment to have the community people there as well? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just in consultation, we have figured out that we have done recently an evaluation of the recreational funding. We have done reviews in the youth areas, and we will be willing to do a review of the recreational funding to the municipalities, so we will actually work with that with the community governments to get their input on that as well. Not to say that I'm going to give an increase. I mean we will take their input. For me, it is more about finding out, are the services and the programs still effective and still efficient because if we have not reviewed them in years, it is time to do a review. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I greatly appreciate the Minister and the department looking at this. I know in my smaller communities are getting $14,000 from this pot of money, from the smaller communities, and it goes up all the way up to Yellowknife. The smaller communities are suffering from this. Fourteen thousand dollars, it sounds like a lot of money, but it isn't a lot of money in the smaller communities. I look forward to this. Will the Minister make a commitment to, once this review is done, to share it with the committee? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, I am trying to be as inclusive of the Regular Members as possible, so once we have done this review, any work that we do with the stakeholders, we will actually bring forward to the standing committee to provide a report. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. I see nothing further from Committee. I will call this section, Municipal and Community Affairs, regional operations, operations expenditure summary, activity total $86,755,000. I see Mr. Testart has his hand up. Mr. Testart.

Committee Motion 67-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Municipal And Community Affairs, Deferral Of Regional Operations Activity, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

February 28th, 2017

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration of the activity of regional operations under the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Main Estimates 2017-2018 on page 330 at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Testart. There is a motion to defer. The motion is on the floor and is being distributed. The motion is in order and non-debateable. All those in favour? All those opposed?

---Carried

The Chair R.J. Simpson

We will defer regional operations. Thank you, committee. Now, we shall continue on to the next activity, School of Community Government, which is pages 334 to 337. Does this committee have comments or questions for School of Community Government, pages 334 to 337? Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I notice a reduction in the program management service for School of Community Government. Can the Minister or the department explain why this reduction? Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, the reduction of $115,000 is a reduction from the public service capacity initiative, but we are now getting external money from Indigenous and Northern Affairs of Canada arguing as capacity building funding that we are using for that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate that. I just noticed on page 337, though, it is a reduction of one position. Is that where this $112,000 has come from, or is it something else? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.

Debates of Feb. 28th, 2017

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