This is page numbers 4017 - 4060 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 know.

Topics

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my Member's statement, inflation is reaching levels not seen in generations more and more at the pumps. Northerners need relief. What action is the Department of Finance considering to provide relief to Northerners? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister responsible for Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this point what we are going to be doing is bringing forth some information to Cabinet for consideration. This is a situation, with the inflation and the cost of fuel, that is impacting governments and residents across Canada. It's one that I know many governments are facing, and they're facing calls to take some action. It's difficult of course to simply to come out and come up with a quick -- and say we're going to slash taxes without giving some consideration to what those impacts are. There are, of course -- I do want to make clear that the fuel taxes don't apply to home heating fuel. So to the extent that that's a concern, Mr. Speaker, people may not be aware that it doesn't apply to home heating fuel. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As noted in my Member's statement, Alberta has decided to pause provincial fuel excise tax. Will the Minister commit to pausing the territorial excise tax on gasoline and diesel? Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too took note when Alberta came out with that announcement of the change. Alberta is, to my knowledge at this point, the only province that has done so. Ontario, Yukon, BC, have also been facing that same question and thus far are declining. Alberta's in the somewhat fortunate, I suppose, situation that as gas prices go up, they stand to benefit significantly and their revenues will be going up significantly as a result. And I believe in fact that they're tax changes are being tied to the cost of fuel and as it goes up and their revenues rise, they can afford to make those changes. So we're not quite in the same situation, Mr. Speaker, but we're certainly paying attention to what's happening elsewhere. Thank you.

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you know, the fuel prices have been going up for some time and it's getting to record high now. So what happens if gas prices continues to increase over $2 a litre? At what point will the department consider taking the action to reduce fuel prices in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that's exactly the kind of question that the department needs to look at and analyze more carefully in terms of tracking what the costs are, who is paying those costs. Are these, you know, consumers that are industrial consumers and transportation trucks, or is it individual citizens paying at the pumps. These are all some of the considerations we want to take in and considering what will the impacts be and where would we be able to find those funds. For every -- every time, of course, if we were say that we're going to stop the fuel tax, we need to consider what that does to the government's ability to provide relief in various forms to the most vulnerable -- the most vulnerable residents. So again, exactly that question is what we'll be looking at. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the finance minister. In terms of timelines when you guys are going to take a look at this, can you give me some feedback in terms of timelines when you're -- are going to bring this to Cabinet and get back to the House on this? Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that's exactly the kind of question I expect to have on the floor and unfortunately the kind of question to which I'm going to not provide a firm answer right on the spot. We haven't even passed our current mains and, of course, I'm having deja vue to two years ago when the situation was changing so rapidly with the beginning of COVID and now here we are facing a bit of a different financial crisis.

As I said, when Alberta came out with this announcement, that same day I'd asked the Department of Finance to start to look at this. Other -- I gather other jurisdictions are also looking at it. They are putting these materials together for us now, and it'll come to Cabinet as quickly as it can. I'm well aware that this is an impact that's going to have on northern residents. We want to figure out what that impact might be and what we -- what leeway we have to do something about it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Written questions. Oh, Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, how many communities in -- my questions are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

How many communities in the NWT have landfill managers that have completed the school of community government solid waste program? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for MACA.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the school of community government offers courses annually and attendance's usually five to ten, depending on the year and the location. And the next course is scheduled for April 2022 in Fort Simpson. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Standards Council of Canada has developed northern infrastructure standards to help communities build in permafrost, deal with extreme weather, and design for climate change. There's a standard for solid waste sites in northern Canada. This standard will help sustainable design, operation, and maintenance of northern solid waste facilities considering all phases of their lifecycles.

Can the Minister confirm that the school of community government solid waste management course meets the standard as set by the Standards Council of Canada; and, if not, can the Minister commit to revising the program materials to ensure they are in alignment with this standard? Thank you.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the northern infrastructure standards initiative guidelines, our guidance document for solid waste site, was only finalized in October of 2021. ENR, Municipal and Community Affairs, and the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board staff contributed to the guide. The school of community government will use this guide to update its solid waste management courses. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, does the training teach waste segregation and compaction, and will the Minister work with his department to create hands-on training in municipalities? Thank you.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, like, we are working with our communities. Our staff are reviewing the final standards and will incorporate the sections that are appropriate to the NWT in future training. But we do work with communities and sometimes if it's ones off, we do that as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, access to training as well as high turnover are some of the challenges that communities face with respect to the management of landfills. Will the Minister look at alternate ways to deliver training under the school of community government to bring hands-on training into the community for more effective delivery of this course? Thank you.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, and I thank the Member for that. The question I might have answered a little bit in my previous one there, but there are many training methods for solid waste management. This course is already delivered at various communities with some on-site exercises, and MACA always has the option to do one-on-one training in communities. I know in my personal experience previously, we did lots of one-on-ones if the communities weren't able to attend a training event as was scheduled. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Question 1039-19(2): Waste Management
Oral Questions

March 11th, 2022

Page 4023

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

All of the communities could use help with backhaul of hazardous and industrial waste from their landfills across the Northwest Territories, especially ones that sit along the Mackenzie River given that our MTS barges sometimes travel empty on their return leg down the Mackenzie.

So I'm wondering can the Minister commit to work with the Minister of Infrastructure to target industrial waste removal from communities along the Mackenzie River for the 2022 summer season? Thank you.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Throughout the 2022 to 2024, MACA will be working with communities on a regional basis to remove hazardous waste and stockpiles from their landfill. This project is under federal funding from the Investment in Canada Plan, and the communities are using some of their community public infrastructure funding to help with this project. The cleanup will be following up -- the cleanup will follow up with training for better management going forward. So we have actually started doing this and will continue this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister, both in his role as Minister of MACA and Minister of ENR, work with the Minister of Housing to identify solutions where the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation waste is not negatively contributing to community landfill sites? Thank you.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm aware of the ENR, Infrastructure, and Housing are working together to review how they manage construction site waste. MACA's also supporting communities with their landfill management, including bylaws and rules for accepting waste. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.