Roger Allen

Legislative Assembly photo

Roles

In the Legislative Assembly

Elsewhere

Historical Information Roger Allen is no longer a member of the Legislative Assembly.

Last in the Legislative Assembly October 2004, as MLA for Inuvik Twin Lakes

Won his last election, in 2003, with 55% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Committee Motion 13-15(3): Recommendation Regarding Self-government Implementation And Incremental Costs, Carried March 29th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight met with the Premier on February 17, 2004, to review the draft 2004-2005 main estimates for the Executive offices.

The Executive offices are proposing a $983,000 decrease in operations expenses from the 2003-2004 main estimates. This is primarily due to a decrease in funding to the maximizing northern employment initiative.

Beaufort-Delta Regional Office

A director of regional operations position was created in 2002 to assist with regional coordination in the Beaufort-Delta to prepare for the implementation of a final self-government agreement.

The draft main estimates propose a decrease of $175,000 in the operations expense for this office, as for 2004-2005 the responsibilities of the director will be carried out only as needed by the Inuvik regional superintendent of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. The Premier advised committee that there is insufficient work at this time to justify a full-time director of regional operations. The Premier further advised that the director will be preparing an evaluation report that will help to determine whether the office should be continued.

The committee endorses the downsizing of the office for 2004-2005 in light of the lower than expected workload. Members hope to see a completed evaluation report at the time of the 2005-2008 draft business plan reviews.

Western Premiers Conference

It has been known for some time that Inuvik will be hosting the meeting of western Premiers and north-western state Governors this summer. Members were therefore surprised to learn that no provision was made for this conference in the Executive offices budget. The Premier advised committee the meeting is still in the planning stages, work is ongoing to seek corporate sponsorships and therefore only a ballpark estimate of the costs is possible at this time.

Members were concerned that the absence of a budget for the meeting gives free rein to the organizers to allow costs to spiral out of control without any accountability. By including a fixed amount for the meeting in the budget, the Premier has an opportunity to signal that costs need to be kept at reasonable levels and that there is an expectation any over expenditures will have a solid justification.

The committee wrote to the Premier on February 27, 2004, to recommend that the Executive offices budget be adjusted to make provision for the western leaders meeting before presentation of the main estimates to the House.

Management Assignment Program

The new management assignment program provides an opportunity for GNWT employees to develop management and leadership abilities through training and transfer assignments. The program was established in response to a concern that the public service is aging and there is a need to have trained staff in place to fill positions that become vacant as senior managers retire. Twenty-five employees have been accepted into the program to date.

Members were very concerned that the list of enrolees for this year does not reflect the number of aboriginal employees in the public service. Members were also disappointed to see that only a few staff from regional offices were admitted to the program. The committee believes that now more than ever it is essential the government train more aboriginal and regional managers. These are the people that will help the government and northerners with the transition to self-government and the new government-to-government relationships that will need to be forged.

The committee looks forward to further discussion of this program in the broader context of the government's overall human resource policy.

Mr. Chairman, that concludes the report on the Executive offices. Thank you.

Revert To Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 28th, 2004

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee recommends that we continue with Bill 1, the review of Public Works and Services, the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, and the Executive offices to conclusion. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Tribute To Inuvik Speed Skating Coach Karen Polkoff March 28th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize the efforts and dedication of Ms. Karen Polkoff of Inuvik. Ms. Polkoff is a tireless coach and a tireless volunteer with the Inuvik speed skating group. At a recent meet in Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker, the participants made a great deal of accomplishments which were made in recognition of Ms. Polkoff's efforts. On behalf of my constituency, the people of Inuvik and the speed skating community, a heartfelt gratitude is extended to her for her tireless efforts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

----Applause

Residential Tenancies Act March 26th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to ask the Minister of MACA a question in regard to the land titles registry. He had referred that the administrative hiccup seems to be between his department and the Department of Justice in the preparation of land disposition documents. So I am going to ask the department if they will work cooperatively with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs to speed up the processes. The demand for land transactions has occurred in my riding. So, Mr. Chairman, I would ask the Minister if he would

commit to that administration so that we can see faster movement on the land title registries. Thank you.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 26th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't beg to differ with the process, but what you're hearing from the town and the government is not necessarily to the satisfaction of the constituents. As you know, the demand for industrial land in Inuvik is at a premium today and we need to be able to give them some certainty that perhaps a 90-day turnaround is much more to their advantage than 120 days. I'm just trying to see if you would convey that to the Department of Justice so they have people on top of the issue, as well. That's my final comment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 26th, 2004

Thank you. Then I would assume that it's incumbent upon yourselves to try to expedite and manifest a quicker turnaround time. I'm just trying to suggest to you perhaps you would speak to the Department of Justice to see if they could be more accommodating to the process, rather than saying we can't do this or can't do that. This is a matter of trying to expedite a document that could serve the community and territory well, and I think when you do have the pressure to meet land development and try to move in through your land disposition, I think it's necessary that you try to work with another department to see if they can somehow accommodate the wishes of the community. Again, Inuvik is unique at this point, but my point is that I think you should really look at this and put some emphasis on the Department of Justice to see if they can have their people address this as quickly as you can. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 26th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd be remiss if I didn't raise a point in follow up to the Member for Hay River North in regard to the lands section which manages the Commissioner's land in accordance with the Commissioner's Lands Act and the Territorial Lands Act and prepares land disposition documents. It's an ongoing concern, I think, for any community that's reaching a stage of industrialization and Inuvik is not immune to that at the moment. Concerning this news release the other day that they had a little over $15 million in land sales in the last fiscal year. The question to me is would the Minister consider the transfer of statutory powers to the regional offices so they can expedite the quickness of the land disposition documents, rather than having to come to Yellowknife to circumvent some of the existing processes? Thank you.

Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 25th, 2004

Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee would like to continue the consideration of Bill 1, with a recommendation that we review and conclude the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and the Department of Justice, in that order. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Question 94-15(3): GNWT Rent Scale Policies March 25th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Then I would ask the Minister, based on his pro forma statement he introduced yesterday during Committee of the Whole, based on his operation expenses in excess of $35 million and rent recoveries only in the neighbourhood of $2.9 million, would he introduce some calculators that would prove that a flat rent scale wouldn't work for the communities under our ideology of trying to promote a social economy? Would he introduce calculators to that effect? Thank you.

Question 94-15(3): GNWT Rent Scale Policies March 25th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Then would the Minister interpret the precise wording of this letter to me in the context of assessing seniors' rent? Thank you.