This is page numbers 5413 - 5452 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. View the webstream of the day's session.

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Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So this $675,000 will be in addition to whatever of the $705 million in the previous supplementary operations number for 2018-2019? There was an amount there. I didn't get specific about that amount, because there was such a short time frame. There's an amount there, and the $675,000 is added to that? I'd like to get that clarified, please, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Minister McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, it's $705,000. The Member said $705 million. It was a nice try, though. A nice try for the MLA.

---Laughter

It is correct that the $675,000, to my understanding, is on top of the money that was already appropriated, I believe, for the Indigenous; and it's $705,000. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

The big question that everybody wants me to ask, and that is: is this money of Aboriginal engagement going to address the initial issue? When Taltson dam was first built, I spoke about this many times in the House, when Taltson dam was first built, it essentially relocated two communities, and it continues to kill all the muskrat and beaver on the Taltson River every few years. So I want to ask the Minister if there is going to be any discussion focused on that. Or is this just an engagement to look at the expansion, not to look backwards, not to look at what happened in the past, although the money is coming from the federal government? This was a federal government issue in 1964. I'd like to ask the Minister if this engagement is going to include discussions on what happened when the Taltson was first built, back in the 1960s. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Minister McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My understanding is that it is not. It's just to do the Aboriginal engagement on the expansion of it. I'm sure, through that discussion, there may be a lot of comments from the Aboriginal partners on the exact issue that the Member spoke of. I'm not sure what the plan would be then. The simply answer and the reason for the appropriation is to have our engagement with our Aboriginal partners on the expansion. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to ask the government if there is any plan to at least take a look at what has been put on the table by those three organizations that they are engaging on this project to see what has been put on the table for Taltson prior to this project. Any negotiation, anything that involves any discussion of compensation, anything that involves any discussion at all about what happened to the two communities of Rocher River and Rat River on the Taltson River. I'd like to ask the Minister if there is going to be any discussion at all that includes any of that, including a discussion of this current project.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Minister McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Through you, I'd like to go to Minister Schumann.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Minister Schumann.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. When I sat down with all three of these governments to discuss the potential Taltson Hydro project, I stated quite clearly at that time that this is looking forward on how we can do the expansion to bring economic opportunities, not to just them but to the whole Northwest Territories. Through those conversations, they knew it was quite clear. They made it quite clear to me that this would not be a conversation about what previously happened with the Taltson expansion back in the 1960s. In fact, some of the chiefs even asked me, "You need to come to the communities and help me explain this to the residents, to quantify that this project is clearly on a moving-forward basis." Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's good. That's what I'm hoping for. I'm not trying to negotiate a compensation for the Aboriginal governments here in this Chamber. I just want to make sure that they have a clear understanding. If a direction was given by the three governments that the contribution agreement was signed and they've all said, "don't worry about the past; we're moving forward," it's on the record. I'm happy with that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Anything further from committee? 2019-2020 Supplementary Estimates No. 1 (Operations Expenditures), Infrastructure, corporate management not previously authorized, $148,000. Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Infrastructure, programs and services not previously authorized, $1,335,000. Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Infrastructure, total department, $1,483,000. Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, committee. Please turn to Justice. 2019-2020 Supplementary Estimates No. 1 (Operations Expenditures), Justice, court services not previously authorized, $145,000. Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Justice, services to government not previously authorized, $10,000. Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.