Debates of June 1st, 2018
This is page numbers 4183 - 4214 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd 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
- Oral Questions
- Members Present
- Prayer
- Minister's Statement 87-18(3): Increasing Representation of Women in the Legislative Assembly
- Minister's Statement 88-18(3): Climate Change Strategic Framework
- Minister's Statement 89-18(3): Programs Available to Inmates in NWT Correctional Facilities
- Minister's Statement 90-18(3): Senior Citizens' Month
- Minister's Statement 91-18(3): 2018 Mining and Exploration Awards and 2018 Mining Week
- Temporary Special Measures
- Intergenerational Equity through the Heritage Fund
- Connecting Community Needs to Government Programs
- Power Rate Increases for Seniors
- Intergenerational Programs in Mackenzie Delta
- Power Rate Increases
- Affirmative Action Policy and Human Resource Planning
- Cuts to the Deh Cho Divisional Education Council
- Mental Health Supports
- 2018 Nunakput High School Graduates
- Indigenous Housing Policies and Land Leases
- Recognition of Inuvik Twin Lakes Science Fair Award Recipients
- Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
- Acknowledgement 11-18(3): Terry Jaffray - Retirement, 2017 Education Hall of Fame Inductee, and NWT Superintendents Association Leadership Award Recipient
- Question 345-18(3): Adult Day Program
- Question 346-18(3): Cuts to Deh Cho Divisional Educational Council
- Question 347-18(3): Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
- Question 348-18(3): Affirmative Action Policy and Human Resource Planning
- Question 349-18(3): Taltson Hydro Expansion
- Question 350-18(3): Land Leases Limiting Housing
- Question 351-18(3): Fee Increases and Land Transfer Tax
- Question 352-18(3): Mental Health care
- Question 353-18(3): Tsiigehtchic Ferry Landing
- Question 354-18(3): Dialysis Services
- Question 355-18(3): Seniors' Tax Benefit
- Written question 12-18(3): Ekati Mine Layoffs
- Tabled Document 209-18(3): Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 4-18(3): Report on Adult Residential Addictions Treatment Facilities Tour 2017
- Tabled Document 210-18(3): Inter-activity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 (April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018) Tabled Document 211-18(3): 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework
- Tabled Document 212-18(3): 2030 Energy Strategy: Energy Action Plan 2018-2021
- Tabled Document 213-18(3): 2018-2019 Consolidated Operating Budget - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation
- Tabled Document 214-18(3): Summary of Members' Absences for the period February 7, 2018 to May 23, 2018
- Motion 20-18(3): Extended Adjournment of the House to October 11, 2018
- Bill 20: Ombudsperson Act
- Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
- Committee Motion 66-18(3): Committee Report 8-18(3): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2016-2017 Public Accounts of the Government of the Northwest Territories - Support to Complete Year-end Report under the Financial Administration Act, Carried
- Committee Motion 67-18(3): Committee Report 8-18(3): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2016-2017 Public Accounts of the Government of the Northwest Territories - Treatment of P3 Projects in Consolidated Public Accounts, Carried
- Committee Motion 68-18(3): Committee Report 8-18(3): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2016-2017 Public Accounts of the Government of the Northwest Territories - Online Availability of Inventory of Contaminated Sites, Carried
- Committee Motion 69-18(3): Committee Report 8-18(3): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2016-2017 Public Accounts of the Government of the Northwest Territories - Improvement in Reporting on Debt Servicing and Infrastructure Financing, Carried
- Committee Motion 70-18(3): Committee Report 8-18(3): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2016-2017 Public Accounts of the Government of the Northwest Territories - Reporting of Student Loan Remissions, Carried
- Committee Motion 71-18(3): Committee Report 8-18(3): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2016-2017 Public Accounts of the Government of the Northwest Territories - Protection of Privacy in Non-Consolidated Schedule of Bad Debts, Write-offs and Student Loan Remissions, Carried
- Committee Motion 72-18(3): Committee Report 8-18(3): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2016-2017 Public Accounts of the Government of the Northwest Territories - French Translation of Annual Reports Required Under GNWT Planning and Accountability Framework, Carried
- Committee Motion 73-18(3): Committee Report 8-18(3): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2016-2017 Public Accounts of the Government of the Northwest Territories - Comprehensive Response to Report within 120 Days, Carried
- Report Of Committee Of The Whole
- Bill 6: Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation Act, Carried
- Recorded Vote
- Bill 19: An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act, Carried
- Recorded Vote
- Bill 21: An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation Act, Carried
- Recorded Vote
- Assent To Bills
- Orders Of The Day
Question 349-18(3): Taltson Hydro Expansion
Oral Questions
Page 4183

Wally Schumann Hay River South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Based on some of the Member's statements today, I would gladly answer this question. Hydro generation is definitely the future of the Northwest Territories. It has to be. We have to meet our greenhouse gas emissions, our commitments to the pan-Canadian framework, our international commitments. One of the only ways we are going to be able to do that in the Northwest Territories is through the expansion of hydro projects.
We have renewables coming. We have our bilaterals that we have signed with the federal government to help us move forward; our other energy initiatives under our 2030 plan around windmills; LNG expansion; transmission line expansion; solar expansion. Some of these are costly. We are in remote communities. We are spread over a vast, large territory.
The expansion of the Taltson project will help us displace diesel generation in our territory. It is going to help us bring in revenues that we can use to offset the high cost of living in some of these other communities and do projects that we want to do up there as new technology expands. We will continue to work with the federal government to secure funding to expand the Taltson project.
At the same time, as we have talked in this House lately around the money we are going to use initially, we want to be able to find the potential market, figure out our capital costs, figure out the transmission line routing, and finalize our business case going forward.
Question 349-18(3): Taltson Hydro Expansion
Oral Questions
Page 4183

Kieron Testart Kam Lake
I don't often agree with the Minister, but in this case, I do. To ensure that we have buy-in from all of our residents, is the Minister going to be consulting with impacted Indigenous nations on the expansion so we don't get it held up in the regulatory process when it needs to move along?
Question 349-18(3): Taltson Hydro Expansion
Oral Questions
Page 4183

Wally Schumann Hay River South
I have been asked this question previously in the House by the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. I have committed that I will be reaching out to all the affected groups that want to partner with us on this project and have discussions around the expansion of the Taltson. We will be wanting to be doing that sooner than later. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 349-18(3): Taltson Hydro Expansion
Oral Questions
Page 4183

Kieron Testart Kam Lake
Thank you to the Minister for that commitment. I want to know if he is going to reach out to private sector, as well. We have relied on P3 projects for many of our major infrastructure. Many years ago, there was a proposal from ATCO to do this work of connecting the grid north to south. Is the Minister going to reach out to ATCO or to other private sector power provider to make use of their capital to get this project off the ground sooner?
Question 349-18(3): Taltson Hydro Expansion
Oral Questions
Page 4183

Wally Schumann Hay River South
As I have said, with this initial funding, we want to find out the potential market, our capital costs, our transmission-line routing, and this stuff, and we finalized our business case. This is a large, transformative type of project that is going to take a lot of partners to do this, not just us, along with the Aboriginal governments. We are going to need assistance from the private sector, maybe investment from the private sector, to help us accomplish this.
I have had discussions myself, personally, with a lot of individual electrical companies that want to have an opportunity to be able to participate in projects in the Northwest Territories, not just the Taltson but also transmission lines, possibly our community power generation; we are looking at adding in our energy strategy. We are open to talking to anybody how we can move some of these projects forward.
Question 349-18(3): Taltson Hydro Expansion
Oral Questions
Page 4183
Question 349-18(3): Taltson Hydro Expansion
Oral Questions
Page 4183

Kieron Testart Kam Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Has the Minister reached out to our neighbouring provinces, as well, talked to the provincial governments about offsetting their greenhouse gas emissions with a potential hydro expansion here so it is not just us but we can make this a nation-building project? Thank you.
Question 349-18(3): Taltson Hydro Expansion
Oral Questions
Page 4183

Wally Schumann Hay River South
Yes, we have reached out to Saskatchewan and Alberta. We have had initial discussions with them. They are ongoing to look into the possibility of doing this. As I have said, with the money we have allocated towards the budget going forward here and being able to build our business case, we will continue to have those conversations with them as all provinces and territories look how they are going to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across this country. A number of provinces are trying to get off of coal. I think we are in a position where we can help them as long as the business case makes sense. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 349-18(3): Taltson Hydro Expansion
Oral Questions
Page 4183
Question 350-18(3): Land Leases Limiting Housing
Oral Questions
Page 4183

Michael Nadli Deh Cho
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Lands. Recently, we had a tour of the Deh Cho. The Minister of Lands accompanied me on a tour of the Deh Cho riding, and he heard many concerns. One of the concerns regards land leases. As we all might know, currently, there are negotiations between the Dehcho First Nations, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and the federal government. First Nations are certainly entitled to their traditional lands. Of course, governments, their approach is to try to maintain the public interest of all residents of the NWT.
Now, with land leases, the way that I explained it in my language is that it is borrowed land. "Nde Goniit'o," that is what we are living on in most communities. We have to pay government for living on those lands. Such is the predicament that we all live in here, in the NWT, as opposed to outright ownership of lands, where a person could buy a house and put that house on a piece of land.
My question is to the Minister of Lands. Can the Minister outline the barriers for making residential leases available in the Deh Cho? Mahsi.
Question 350-18(3): Land Leases Limiting Housing
Oral Questions
Page 4183
Question 350-18(3): Land Leases Limiting Housing
Oral Questions
Page 4183

Louis Sebert Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, residents can apply for a lease at any time. There is a process which is followed. The department will work with the community to ensure the application is in accordance with development plans. We invite people who are interested in acquiring residential leases to contact the department for information on the application process or for assistance in making their application.
Question 350-18(3): Land Leases Limiting Housing
Oral Questions
Page 4183

Michael Nadli Deh Cho
The process is very clear. Has the Department of Lands received feedback from leaseholders on the fee changes, and what is the Minister doing to address those concerns?
Question 350-18(3): Land Leases Limiting Housing
Oral Questions
Page 4183

Louis Sebert Thebacha
We have received feedback on the increases. I would have to say that the support for the increases was not universal. However, we still do feel they are fair because we wanted to bring the two land regimes, if I can put it that way, into alignment. It is also important to remember, I was surprised to find this, that there were quite a few territorial leases within the community. There were quite a few residential leases on territorial lands in communities. It is particularly important, in my submission, that there be alignment between the two amounts that are paid on leases. Yes, particularly those on territorial lands, there was a significant increase. No, not everybody was happy.
Question 350-18(3): Land Leases Limiting Housing
Oral Questions
Page 4183

Michael Nadli Deh Cho
Can the Minister provide an update on whether the land specialist positions have been filled and whether work on equity leases has started?
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