Debates of June 7th, 2024

This is page numbers 873 - 918 of the Hansard for the 20th Assembly, 1st 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

Oral Questions

Barge Cancellation Impacts to Businesses

Members' Statement 262-20(1): Economic Development in Communities

Recreational Land Leasing

Elders' Homes

Waste Reduction

Long Shadow Music Festival

Culture Sites at Taltson

Indigenous Child Welfare Settlement

Impacts of Day Shelter

Village of Fort Simpson - Canadian Biomass Community Project of the Year Award Recipient

1995 Fort Norman Wildfires

Cannabis Producers

Waste Diversion

Recreational Land Leasing

Day Shelter Impacts

Elders' Home Inspections

Economic Development in Communities

Burial Sites in Taltson River Area

Barge Cancellations Impacts to Businesses

Indigenous Child Welfare Settlement

Waste Resource Management Strategy

Non-Governmental Organizations and the 2024-2025 Budget

Tabled Document 113-20(1): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 187-20(1): Costs to Access Land Titles and Red-Tape Reduction Tabled Document 114-20(1): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 203-20(1): RCMP Response to Addictions Related Calls

Increasing RCMP Response in Hay River

Recorded Vote

Bill 7: Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act 2024

Bill 8: An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Tabled Document 93-20(1): 2024-2025 Main Estimates - Legislative Assembly - Deferral of Legislative Assembly

Tabled Document 93-20(1): 2024-2025 Main Estimates - Environment and Climate Change - Deferral of Department of Environment and Climate Change

Tabled Document 93-20(1): 2024-2025 Main Estimates - Municipal and Community Affairs - Deferral of Department of Municipal and Community Affairs

Report Of Committee Of The Whole

Bill 2: Missing Persons Act

Recorded Vote

Orders Of The Day

Committee Motion 27-20(1): Tabled Document 93-20(1): 2024-2025 Main Estimates - Legislative Assembly - Deferral of Legislative Assembly, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 887

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

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Jay MacDonald Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes.

Page 887

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Frame Lake.

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Julian Morse Frame Lake

Thank you for that clarification. So I'm just going to note -- we don't need to turn to it, but in page 48 of the business plan, it's noted that the department will be facilitating and implementing recommendations from the 2025 audit. Can the department fill me in on how many recommendations directed at the department have been fulfilled from the 2020 environmental audit?

Page 887

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

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Jay MacDonald Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, there were 32 recommendations that resulted from the 2020 audit, two of which are complete. 21, which are in progress but have fulfilled the purpose of the audit, but some of those are ongoing despite the fact that they've met the request out of the audit itself. And nine additional items are in progress. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 887

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. Over to the Member from Frame Lake.

Page 887

Julian Morse Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Now, Mr. Chair, in the Minister or department's opinion, looking forward to the 2025 audit and of course completion of the 2020 one -- the 2020 audit is what I mean, not 2021 -- does the department feel that they are adequately resourced to respond to those recommendations in a timely manner?

Page 887

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll look to the Minister.

Page 887

Jay MacDonald Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, thank you for the question. We do feel that we are adequately resourced. Some of the processes from the audit are just long in required time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 887

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Frame Lake.

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Julian Morse Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So if Members were hoping to see kind of a more accelerated response to audit recommendations noting that it relates to one of the key mandate commitments of the government and how closely this relates to kind of regulatory effectiveness and the audit recommendations kind of pointing to creating better effectiveness within our regulatory system, again I'd just ask the question, does the department feel they're adequately resourced to respond to the 2025 audit in expedient fashion? Thanks.

Page 887

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll look to the Minister.

Page 887

Jay MacDonald Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, we feel that we are adequately resourced in this area. There are certain segments of the audit that require contributions from others that are not necessarily in -- the timelines aren't within our control. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 887

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Frame Lake.

Page 887

Julian Morse Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, I appreciate those answers from the department. Always appreciate hearing that a Minister feels that they have got the resources they need. You know, I think it's obvious that this is one that is important to me and I do want to see the department prioritizing, and I think it's an important part of getting effectiveness out of that mandate commitment. So, yeah, I just want the Minister to keep the House up to date if they're being resourced adequately to move on those recommendations quickly.

I'm just going to move over to the CIMP program, Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program. Does this program specifically -- how do I word this? Is the program directly related to reducing climate change impacts in the Northwest Territories? Sorry, a better way to put it, is the department directly related to reducing carbon output of the Northwest Territories with this...

Page 887

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'm going to the Minister.

Page 887

Jay MacDonald Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program does not contribute directly to that. We have climate change programs within the department that would be more related to that particular outcome. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Page 887

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Frame Lake.

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Julian Morse Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's all the questions I have on this department at this time. Thank you.

Page 887

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Okay, thank you. Is there any further questions? Seeing none, please turn to page 84.

Environment and Climate Change, corporate management, operations expenditure summary -- no further questions? Please turn to page 88.

Environment and Climate Change, environmental management, monitoring and climate change, operations expenditure summary, 2024-2025 Main Estimates, $21,815,000. Does the committee agree?

Page 887

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Page 887

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. Moving on to policy and strategic planning, beginning on page 92 with information items on page 96. Are there any questions? I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.

Page 887

Kate Reid Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So given that the department in their business plan has highlighted a great deal of sustainable livelihoods activities, partnerships, and programming under encouraging community wellness, I'm curious as to the difference between the revised estimates of 2023-2024 and the main estimates of 2024-2025, noting, of course, that it's an increase from the mains of the last fiscal, which is great but, yeah, just looking for the full story here, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Page 887

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Debates of June 7th, 2024

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