This is page numbers 2083 - 2120 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 health.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

For that detail, I will turn to Ms. Macdonald.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Macdonald

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We've been working with the federal government since November, and they have told us that we can expect to receive our agreement within the next few weeks. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Macdonald. Member for Frame Lake.

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Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'm wondering: if this was deleted, could the funding be brought back through in a supplementary appropriation once the agreement is signed? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. Minister.

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Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

I don't deal in hypothetical situations, Mr. Chair. If it was deleted from the budget, then we would have to see what we do. I know how much committee does not like the fact that we're coming back for supplementary appropriations, so it would be a difficult opportunity if we had to go through the supplementary process. Again, I can't deal with hypothetical situations. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Member.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I don't think I need to delay this any longer. I move that $303,000 be deleted from the activity corporate management under the Department of Lands for grants, contributions, and transfers related to the Northwest Territories Surface Rights Board. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. The motion is on the floor, and it has been distributed. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. It's not often that we have to deal with motions in budgets in Committee of the Whole. Look, as I said earlier, we don't have the funding for this. This shouldn't come as a surprise to the Minister. I raised this in January with the Minister that, if the funding had not been secured by the time this came to the floor, I would bring it forward, so it doesn't come as a surprise to the Minister. I'm not saying anything against our staff who have probably been working hard, trying to get the federal government to pay some attention to us, but the fact is: we don't have the money to do this. I think it could easily be brought through in a supplementary appropriation afterwards.

More importantly, this is a board, too, that has been around for eight years, has not dealt with one dispute, and I think is based on some legislation that was basically forced on us by the federal government in the past and does not meet expectations of co-management regime. Even some of the principles that we've passed in the new Mineral Resources Act in terms of making sure that there's some reasonable limits put on the way that mining is conducted in the Northwest Territories. For a whole variety of reasons, I just don't see the need for this board. It's not doing any work. We don't have the money in place, and I would urge my colleagues to agree with me that this can be removed. Then if the Minister can find the money somewhere else, he can bring it back through a supplementary appropriation. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. To the motion? MLA for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are a couple of questions to be answered here: one, whether we need a Surface Rights Board. I think there's a bit of disagreement about that. I think that there probably is some need to make sure that the claims have an ultimate board. Whether the legislation that the GNWT passed is accomplishing that, there is a bit of a debate there. As the Member for Frame Lake said, there are other bodies that could fulfill that function. The second question is whether a board that has never heard an appeal, and likely never will, needs $303,000 a year to operate. It kind of seems like one of those ridiculous government things of, whether we or the feds are paying for it, that we've spent likely a couple million dollars on a board that's never done anything. The third question is: if we do need the board and they need $300,000, who should pay for it? I think clearly, given that the intention of this board is to uphold and implement the land claims, that is a federal responsibility to pay for it.

I heard the Minister of Lands say that we don't like supplementary appropriations. If it comes back with a five-year federal funding agreement, then no one's going to complain about that. I'm inclined to vote to remove this until the Minister can come back with some confirmation that the feds are paying for it. If the feds aren't paying for it, then I think there's a really hard look that they probably don't need $300,000 a year to operate. I will be voting in favour of removing this money. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. To the motion?

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Question has been called. All those in favour of the motion? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is defeated.

---Defeated

Member for Great Slave.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. If the Chair will indulge me just for a second, I'd like to just ask about the revenue summary, if that's okay? I know we did agree to skip the opening ones. I just wanted to know how accurate, and you might want to start the clock for me, too. How accurate is that estimation for the quarry revenues? I do understand that the Minister of Finance has indicated that you're not sort of zeroing out your budgets and such. I'm wondering with the downturn, if we're not going to see as much construction projects this year, is it really realistic that we're going to bring in $100,000 in royalties for the quarries? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member, and I will allow you the one question on that section. Thank you. Minister.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you. For that detail, I will turn to the deputy minister. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Deputy Minister.

Haener

Thank you, Mr. Chair. When we are determining or estimating revenues, we have looked at previous years and the patterns in previous years to try to determine what makes sense. As everyone can appreciate, the last year has been very unusual, and we expect the coming year to be somewhat unusual. It is an estimate, and there may be some considerable variance there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes. When I look at the next line, which is the leases, which is at $2.8 million, this is just a drop in the bucket compared to that. I think my next question, actually, is in the next section, so I will stop there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can I have an update on where we're at with developing a process guide for the transfer of land within municipal boundaries? Thank you.