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

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is certainly not what I am seeing in the GNWT, and I have been around for over 40 years, in the GNWT, not just been around, period. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister if the department is developing a plan that the departments are working on, a plan that advances Indigenous people in the GNWT. I have found that the most effective method was to have managers and directors that were from the Northwest Territories, whether they be Priority 1 or priority candidates, and they seem to be able to attract and retain people from the Northwest Territories to work in the public service.

I would like to ask if there is an actual plan to developing Indigenous employees for advancement in the GNWT. Thank you.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

There are a couple of programs. A new gateway program is being rolled out to support more training positions within the GNWT, a regional recruitment program to provide opportunities for residents not quite meeting job requirements to develop into positions.

We have our summer students that we hire every year, and about 58 per cent of those are Indigenous. We changed the intern program so that we could end up doubling the number of interns, so that northern students have the opportunities to gain experience and hopefully become permanent employees. The Indigenous management program is being revised to better support more Indigenous people to move into management positions.

There are a number of initiatives on the go. As we prepare for our fall session, I would be more than pleased to have the department put a briefing together that we can provide to committee and answer any questions that they may have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Question 349-18(3): Taltson Hydro Expansion
Oral Questions

June 1st, 2018

Page 4183

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned about the ongoing power increases that are affecting my constituents. I see the Taltson hydro expansion as a potential for resolving this situation as a transformative piece of infrastructure. I would like to ask the Minister of Infrastructure what his vision for hydroelectricity is in the Northwest Territories. Is this just something we would like to have or is this something we are going to have and put the resources behind to make it a reality? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.

Wally Schumann

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.

Kieron Testart

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?

Wally Schumann

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.

Kieron Testart

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?

Wally Schumann

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.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Kieron Testart

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.

Wally Schumann

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.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Michael Nadli

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.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Lands.

Louis Sebert

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.

Michael Nadli

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?

Louis Sebert

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.

Michael Nadli

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?

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Yes, we are working on this important project. Office space has been identified. I understand that the staffing process will be underway this month. Members will recall that initially, there were to be three positions. We increased the number to five as this is a particularly important matter that we all wish to resolve.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my last question is solutions. I know the Department of Lands is reviewing the matter of land leases. Possibly, maybe the Minister could commit to the idea of looking at the land designation for First Nations so that they still could retain some measure of at least being First Nations within Canada, at the same time meeting the needs and interests of people who want to have land for residential purposes. Would the Minister commit to perhaps considering the idea of a different and unique land designation for the NWT?

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

That is a very complex question, and I'm not sure of all the ramifications. I would have to discuss that with my fellow Cabinet Ministers. I would certainly be prepared to have further conversations with the Member opposite, or, if he wants to put this suggestion, which I'm not sure I fully understand, into writing, we could at least consider it. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.