Committee, we will call committee back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 30-19(2), Main Estimates 2020-2021 under the activity Municipal and Community Affairs. Does the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs have any opening remarks? Minister.
Debates of March 12th, 2020
This is page numbers 659 - 708 of the Hansard for the 19th 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
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you. I am here to present the 2020-2021 Main Estimates for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Overall, the department's main estimates propose an increase of $6,074,000 or 5.5 percent over the 2019-2020 Main Estimates. These estimates support the fiscal objectives and priorities and responsibilities and strategic spending while matching the modest expected revenue growth over the coming year. Highlights of these proposed estimates include:
- an increase of $5,186,000 to provide funding to tax-based communities in accordance with the grant-in-lieu policy;
- an increase of $960,000 to reflect the impact of costs associated with implementation of the 2016-2017 to 2020-2021 collective agreement with the Union of Northern Workers; and
- an increase of $158,000 to provide relief from property tax to seniors and people with disabilities.
These estimates support the priorities of the 19th Legislative Assembly. Specifically, the department will advance the following actions:
- Provide resources and support to community governments. The department will continue to support community governments with community planning; legislation and policy; financial agreements; infrastructure management; and climate change and disaster mitigation funding.
- Support the development of an implementation plan for municipal Access to Information and Protection of Privacy. The department remains committed to working with the Department of Justice, community governments, and stakeholders to identify a responsibility and achievable approach for the implementation of Bill 29: An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Privacy of Protection Act with respect to bringing community governments under this legislation in a phased-in approach.
That concludes my opening remarks. I look forward to the detailed discussion with Members. Thank you, Minister.
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Sergeant-at-Arms, would you please escort the witnesses in. Minister Chinna, would you please introduce your witnesses?
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have with me Ms. Young and Mr. Schauerte. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you, Minister Chinna. I would also like to say happy birthday to Ms. Young. I will now open the floor to general comments on Municipal and Community Affairs. If there are no further comments, does committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Committee, we will defer the departmental summary and review the estimates by activity summary, beginning with community governance, starting on page 320 with information items to 323. Questions? Member for Yellowknife North.
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Thank you, Madam Chair. I see that this is the area regarding responsible assessment. I recognize we provide some funding to the City of Yellowknife to do their assessments, and we have recently had this issue with the Yellowknife hospital. There have been a lot of different interpretations of exactly how that money got missed. Could I just have the Minister explain what exactly occurred there and how we are going to ensure that we budget for assessments going forward?
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. When this project did roll out, there was a timeline that the numbers weren't ready, and they weren't forecasted at that time for the grant-in-lieu. I will have Ms. Eleanor Young elaborate on the response. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Young
Thank you, Madam Chair. With assessments, in this part of the budget area, we have a number of assessment staff who conduct most of the assessments in the territory. As noted in this area, we do have $125,000 that we provide to the city to hire their own assessment contractors or staff, but we still have, through the Property Assessment and Taxation Act, oversight on their assessment role. Then that information is used for the calculation of grant-in-lieu for the properties that are GNWT properties within the community. We are in the process of putting to paper all of the processes used, with the checks and balances, and we will be able to bring that back for a briefing to committee in the future, since we have that together. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Thank you, Madam Chair. I look forward to receiving that information in committee. No further questions.
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you. Any further questions under community governance? Seeing no further questions, we will move on to page 321. Municipal and Community Affairs, community governance, operations expenditure summary, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $2,118,000. Does committee agree?
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you. We will turn to community operations, beginning on page 324 with information items up to 327. Questions? Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Madam Chair. I think that this is the right area for talking about the municipal funding gap. Can I just confirm that?
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. That would be regional operations. This is community operations. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Yes, thank you. I will save that question for that area. In this area, I would like to talk about the follow-up to the OAG report that happened in 2017, I think it was. Can the Minister tell us whether all the commitments that the department made in response to the OAG report have been fulfilled? Thank you.
Committee Motion 7-19(2): Tabled Document 30-19(2): Main Estimates 2020-2021 - Northwest Territories Housing Corporation - Deferral of Further Consideration of the Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Carried
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