Debates of March 7th, 2023
This Hansard is the unedited transcript and will be replaced by the final copy soon (generally within 5 business days). In the meantime, direct quotes should not be used, when the final is published it will seamlessly replace this unedited copy and any existing links should still work.
This is from 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
- Oral Questions
- Members Present
- Prayer
- Minister's Statement 329-19(2): Celebrating Engineers and Geoscientists in the Northwest Territories
- Minister's Statement 330-19(2): Homelessness Programs Offered by Housing NWT
- Minister's Statement 331-19(2): Celebrating National Social Work Month
- Minister's Statement 332-19(2): Minister Absent from the House
- Member's Statement 1436-19(2): Child and Youth Care Counsellors
- Member's Statement 1437-19(2): Future of Local Housing Organizations
- Member's Statement 1438-19(2): Fort Simpson Diesel Plant Upgrade
- Member's Statement 1439-19(2): Renovation Delays Effects on School
- Member's Statement 1440-19(2): Crack Cocaine Addictions in Tlicho Communities
- Member's Statement 1441-19(2): Surety Bond Review
- Member's Statement 1442-19(2): Homelessness
- Member's Statement 1443-19(2): Open for Business - Hay River South Office
- Member's Statement 1444-19(2): Streamline Services and Share Resources: health Authority
- Member's Statement 1445-19(2): Eulogy for Jessie May Snider
- Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
- Committee Report 47-19(2): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Homelessness Prevention: Supporting Pathways to Housing NWT Residents
- Question 1439-19(2): Four Portables Brought into the Community
- Question 1440-19(2): Evaluation of Programs at Child and Youth Care Counsellors
- Question 1441-19(2): Fort Simpson Diesel Plant
- Question 1442-19(2): Surety Bond Review
- Question 1443-19(2): Health and Social Services Deficit
- Question 1444-19(2): Homelessness
- Question 1445-19(2): Local Housing Organization Funding
- Question 1446-19(2): Child and Youth Care Counsellors Staff Integration
- Question 1447-19(2): Back-Up Generators during an Outage
- Question 1448-19(2): Child and Youth Care Counsellor Equivalencies
- Return to Written Question 58-19(2): Frank Channel Bridge Replacement
- Tabled Document 876-19(2): Government of the Northwest Territories Bridge Inspection Form - Frank Channel Bridge, July 2021 Tabled Document 877-19(2): Stantec Consulting Ltd. 2021 Frank Channel Bridge Inspection Report dated February 12, 2022
- Tabled Document 878-19(2): Plain Language Summary for Bill 72: Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act
- Tabled Document 879-19(2): What We Heard: A Forest Act for the NWT, February 2023
- Tabled Document 880-19(2): Letter dated December 26, 2022 from Alternatives North regarding Comments on Forest Act Summary of Policy Intentions
- Motion 75-19(2): Maximum Allowable Rent Increase for Private Rental Units
- Motion 76-19(2): Extended Adjournment of the House to march 27, 2023
- Bill 76: An Act to Amend the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act
- Bill 72: Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act, Carried
- Bill 73: An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 4, Carried
- Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
- Committee Motion 371-19(2): Tabled Document 813-19(2): 2023-2024 Main Estimates - Legislative Assembly - Deferral of Department (Page 5), Carried
- Committee Motion 372-19(2): Tabled Document 813-19(2): 2023-2024 Main Estimates - Environment and Climate Change - Deferral of Department (Page 73), Carried
- Report Of Committee Of The Whole
- Orders Of The Day
Question 1441-19(2): Fort Simpson Diesel Plant
Oral Questions

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Power Corporation board is having a meeting on Friday. You know, we are hoping to get some confirmation to be able to continue some of the scoping that is required for this construction. Mr. Speaker, we're hoping to get this done by the summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 1441-19(2): Fort Simpson Diesel Plant
Oral Questions

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So get what done by the summer? Is that the designs, is that the money from the federal government that's needed, the building of the plant itself, geotechnical designs; can the Minister be a Minister be a bit more specific about what's going to be done by the summer? Thank you.
Question 1441-19(2): Fort Simpson Diesel Plant
Oral Questions

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the work that's being completed now is ongoing. We don't really have a cost estimate -- sorry, I should have answered that in the previous question. We don't have a cost estimate. We are looking at the relocation of new plant projects. So once we get that in place, Mr. Speaker, that would be able to help us to go to the feds through Infrastructure Canada to be able to look at the costs of this project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 1441-19(2): Fort Simpson Diesel Plant
Oral Questions
Question 1441-19(2): Fort Simpson Diesel Plant
Oral Questions

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to have to go on the round for a second set of questions because I have a lot here.
So my question -- my last question will be on is the plan -- or sorry, first of all, I'm concerned that this design and cost estimate hasn't already been done since it's been about a year since we knew that this supplemental plant was not going to be large enough. Therefore, what is the Minister planning to do this flooding season when the road next to the diesel plant is undermined? Is there an emergency plan or some sort of safety plan in place should the undermining of the river lead to the inoperability of the plant as it is now? Thank you.
Question 1441-19(2): Fort Simpson Diesel Plant
Oral Questions

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are working with the community to look at this, unfortunately it's not going to be done this year. We all know how long it takes to be able to build infrastructure. So we are working with the community and working with the flood response to be able to, you know, have something in place for if there happens to be a flood again in Fort Simpson. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 1441-19(2): Fort Simpson Diesel Plant
Oral Questions
Question 1442-19(2): Surety Bond Review
Oral Questions
March 7th, 2023

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Lands. The department has placed top priority in our requests from the mining industry to use surety bonds as an acceptable form of financial security. Ernst & Young were sole sourced for $230,000 to tell the government that surety bonds are good financial security.
Can the Minister tell us whether the report is finished and will be released publicly? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Question 1442-19(2): Surety Bond Review
Oral Questions
Question 1442-19(2): Surety Bond Review
Oral Questions

Shane Thompson Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT led by the Department of Lands has hired a consultant, as the Member has said, EY Consulting Services, to conduct research on surety bonds as a form of reclamation security. This information will inform decisions on the form of securities that the GNWT may consider. EY has now completed their research and identified some draft findings, and the final report will be made available publicly once it is finalized by EY. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 1442-19(2): Surety Bond Review
Oral Questions

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. Of course I probably should have squeezed in when is it going to be released? But our government is poised to accept surety bonds without a real plan to prevent further public liabilities like Giant Mine, Cameron Hills, Mactung, Ptarmigan Mine, and more. Can the Minister tell us when GNWT will change its approach to financial security and regularly accept surety bonds? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Question 1442-19(2): Surety Bond Review
Oral Questions

Shane Thompson Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, using EY's draft findings, the GNWT is working on guidance which will provide industry with clarity regarding the form of the security that GNWT will accept in the future. I will inform MLAs on this guidance when it has been completed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 1442-19(2): Surety Bond Review
Oral Questions

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. It's been radio silence on any public engagement on the development of Public Land Act regulations that will deal with financial security and other matters. Nothing has been done on public engagement since the release of the "what we heard" report in May 2021. That's 20 months ago, Mr. Speaker.
Can the Minister tell us when his department will start the promised phase two of public engagement and finally set up the stakeholder advisory committees? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Question 1442-19(2): Surety Bond Review
Oral Questions

Shane Thompson Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for the question. The Public Land Act regulations are near the end of the drafting process. The Department of Lands is working collaboratively with Indigenous -- or Intergovernmental Council Secretariat partners and the Department of Justice to prepare regulations that meet the needs and desires of the public in the Northwest Territories. Stakeholder engagement is anticipated to continue into the late spring of 2023. Public engagement and section 35 consultation with Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, it's also anticipated to occur into the late spring of 2023. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 1442-19(2): Surety Bond Review
Oral Questions
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