Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Debates of March 1st, 2017
This is page numbers 2075 - 2114 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 work.
Topics
Question 659-18(2): Inclusive Schooling Funding
Oral Questions
Page 2083
Question 659-18(2): Inclusive Schooling Funding
Oral Questions
Page 2083
![Alfred Moses](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-alfred-moses/f6a14d6fee67d12ecdeb5631504cadbe.jpg)
Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently, all education bodies decide how to distribute their inclusive schooling funding throughout their schools to ensure that all schools have needed access to PSTs. We can get the number for the Member. Under our renewed inclusive schooling directive, we have made it mandatory for education bodies to look at prescribing a number of program support teachers based on the enrolment of students in each of their schools in the regions, so that sends a new directive from 2016. We can get those numbers for the Member, how many schools have PSTs right now.
Question 659-18(2): Inclusive Schooling Funding
Oral Questions
Page 2083
Question 659-18(2): Inclusive Schooling Funding
Oral Questions
Page 2083
![Shane Thompson](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-shane-thompson/335023233256b58651b56fed4d1dc388.jpg)
Shane Thompson Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for his answer. I look forward to that information. I guess, when he is providing that information, will the Minister commit to providing us how many new PST teachers will be needed for each school? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 659-18(2): Inclusive Schooling Funding
Oral Questions
Page 2084
![Alfred Moses](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-alfred-moses/f6a14d6fee67d12ecdeb5631504cadbe.jpg)
Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned, we provide the funding, inclusive schooling funding, to the education authorities, and they work out, based on enrolment, how many program support teachers that they need based on the enrolment and students that they have in each of their schools. We can get that information, working with our education authorities.
Question 659-18(2): Inclusive Schooling Funding
Oral Questions
Page 2084
Question 660-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2084
![Julie Green](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-julie-green/87f26ef9b1c6c9b73664474116585286.jpg)
Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Premier, who signed the National Climate Change Framework on our behalf. It has been reported that federal funding would be made available to help meet the costs of governmental measures to reduce greenhouse gas production, such as the replacement of diesel generation. Can the Premier give us an overview of the funding transfers we can expect to receive and any details available at this time on the use of those funds? Mahsi.
Question 660-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2084
Question 660-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2084
![Bob McLeod](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-bob-mcleod/67cb8f314a889f68a4274398990d8aa0.jpg)
Bob McLeod Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our officials have been having discussions with federal officials. We have no details as to those specifics. I expect we will have more information when the federal budget comes out later this spring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 660-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2084
![Julie Green](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-julie-green/87f26ef9b1c6c9b73664474116585286.jpg)
Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you to the Premier for that response. Recent media reports indicate that the Nunavut government may be seeking an exemption under its carbon pricing for certain types of fuel, specifically heating fuel, jet fuel, and fuel for generating power. Obviously, action on climate change must be across the board and achieve the new carbon-free economy, which is the only solution to runaway climate change. Can the Premier assure us that we are negotiating a full-spectrum carbon-pricing system to motivate replacement of all categories of fuels?
Question 660-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2084
![Bob McLeod](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-bob-mcleod/67cb8f314a889f68a4274398990d8aa0.jpg)
Bob McLeod Yellowknife South
We are holding roundtables throughout the Northwest Territories. We have had very excellent feedback, and we are looking at all options. Certainly, we will do what is best for the people of the Northwest Territories.
Question 660-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2084
![Julie Green](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-julie-green/87f26ef9b1c6c9b73664474116585286.jpg)
Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
I didn't hear an answer there, but maybe I will capture it in the next question. As I pointed out, the Mining Association of Canada has announced its endorsement of carbon pricing as the most effective and efficient means of driving emissions reductions. The mining industry in the NWT is both a major producer of greenhouse gases and, of course, a major contributor of revenue. Has our government reached out to the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines to enlist their partnership in transition to a carbon price? If not, will the Premier commit to doing so?
Question 660-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2084
![Bob McLeod](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-bob-mcleod/67cb8f314a889f68a4274398990d8aa0.jpg)
Bob McLeod Yellowknife South
As people in the southern parts of Canada are wont to do, the Mining Association of Canada without any consultation went ahead and put forward their position on climate change. We understand that that's not necessarily shared by the local Chamber of Mines. We are setting up meetings with them so that we will have very specific industry input and if we do our consultations.
Question 660-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2084
Question 660-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2084
![Julie Green](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-julie-green/87f26ef9b1c6c9b73664474116585286.jpg)
Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you. That's a very curious twist. My last question, Mr. Speaker, is that we recognize that carbon pricing is just one element of an array of measures that must be put in place. Can the Premier report on the current status of the climate change strategic framework and when we may expect to see this document, including a cost of implementation plan with timelines? Mahsi.
Question 660-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2084
![Bob McLeod](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-bob-mcleod/67cb8f314a889f68a4274398990d8aa0.jpg)
Bob McLeod Yellowknife South
Mr. Speaker, we are continuing with our consultations and we expect that will be completed by the end of March. We have committed to working with the Standing Committee on the Economy and the Environment, so I expect that it will be the fall. The federal has indicated that carbon tax or carbon pricing will be imposed in 2018. Our expectation is that we'll have our strategies completed well before that.
Question 660-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2084
Question 661-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2084
![Cory Vanthuyne](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-cory-vanthuyne/f89219ff1f9e6e3ea18c36f0e410b73e.jpg)
Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to apologize in advance if some of these questions are a duplication. I just sadly lost track a little bit of what my colleagues' questions were being asked. I was focusing on something else, but my questions, however, are for the Minister of Finance. They might be similar in nature. I just wonder: can the Minister of Finance provide us with some degree of update on what is going on between our territorial government and the federal government on -- I won't call it a negotiation, but discussions on a carbon tax and what regime might be being considered since the federal government's announcement that we will be seeing a carbon tax sometime in the future? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 661-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2084
Question 661-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2085
![Robert C. McLeod](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-robert-c-mcleod/b4eb6f648385385b8750a81d8af8419b.jpg)
Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
Thank you. We have been having discussions with the federal government. We have agreed to work together to better understand the impact of their proposed carbon pricing in the Northwest Territories and, in our meetings we had down there, they understand the unique situation of the North and how it is going to have a wider affect up here than, I think, they expected. So we're continuing to have those discussions and I will update committee as those progressions progress. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 661-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2085
![Cory Vanthuyne](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-cory-vanthuyne/f89219ff1f9e6e3ea18c36f0e410b73e.jpg)
Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North
Thank you to the Minister for his reply. I wonder if the Minister can share with us at this time, you know, we have shared our concerns with the federal government as it relates to what a carbon tax may or may not do as it relates to our cost of living. Can the Minister maybe provide us any insight as to what that discussion has been like with the federal government, and is there any consideration being given to the impacts that it's going to have on the cost of living here in the North?
Question 661-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2085
![Robert C. McLeod](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-robert-c-mcleod/b4eb6f648385385b8750a81d8af8419b.jpg)
Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
We have been having those discussions as an item. As I mentioned earlier, the federal government, we made them well aware of the actual effects of their carbon pricing and the effects it's going to have on the Northwest Territories, so we will continue to have those discussions. We will continue to make our case. I have had assurance from the Minister of Environment Canada that they will recognize the unique situation of the North. Whatever that entails remains to be seen and I guess that's part of the wider discussion that we plan on going with them.
Question 661-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2085
![Cory Vanthuyne](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-cory-vanthuyne/f89219ff1f9e6e3ea18c36f0e410b73e.jpg)
Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North
I appreciate the Minister's reply. I expect that, to some degree, we're going to have the ability to do some kind of tweaking to whatever this form of carbon tax is going to be. We know that other jurisdictions such as Alberta have done some tweaks with regard to their carbon tax. There are some exemptions, Mr. Speaker. The oil and gas industry has certain kinds of exemptions. The agricultural industry has some certain kinds of exemptions. On our front here, are there any exemptions that we'll be considering if a carbon tax is to come into play?
Question 661-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2085
![Robert C. McLeod](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/18-robert-c-mcleod/b4eb6f648385385b8750a81d8af8419b.jpg)
Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
We're very early in the process, and our exemptions could be one approach. We'll also be looking at rebates or tax credits as approaches to mitigate the impact of cost of living, but we are early in the process. I do realize we had a briefing committee, but I would like to, once we do a bit more of the work. I would like to come forward and have an opportunity to meet with committee, give them some of our early findings, and get some feedback from committee as we continue to move forward. At our earliest opportunity, we will make the offer to committee to have a sit-down with them and have a discussion as we move forward.
Question 661-18(2): Northern Carbon Pricing Regime
Oral Questions
Page 2085