Debates of Feb. 12th, 2018

This is page numbers 3161 - 3198 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd 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 going .

Topics

Oral Questions

Members Present

Prayer

Minister’s Statement 20-18(3): Transparency On Resource Royalties

Minister’s Statement 21-18(3): Recognizing Northwest Territories Olympians

What We Heard And Next Steps – Creation Of The Mineral Resources Act

Hay River Beautification Committee

Cannabis Policy

Updating Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Carbon Pricing

Addiction Treatment Centres Tour

National Inquiry Into Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women And Girls Hearings In Yellowknife

Mental Health And Addictions Services

Eulogy For Sarah Jane Mcleod

Status Of Amendments To Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Process For Disconnecting Service

Economic Opportunities Arising From Legalization Of Cannabis

Carbon Pricing

Historical Case Unit Within The RCMP

Mental Health And Addictions Facility

Support To Municipalities Arising From Amendment Of Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Seniors Day Program

Resource Royalties In 2018-2019 Main Estimates

Mineral Resources Act

Mr. O'Reilly's Reply

Tabled Document 70-18(3): Government Of Northwest Territories Response To Committee Report 2-18(3): Report On The Review Of The 2015-2016 Public Economy

Tabled Document 71-18(3): Mineral Resources Act: What We Heard Report

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Tabled Document 63-18(3): Main Estimates 2018-2019 - Education, Culture And Employment - Deferral Of Further Consideration Of The Estimates For The Department Of Education, Culture And Employment

Tabled Document 63-18(3): Main Estimates 2018-2019 - Executive And Indigenous Affairs - Deferral Of Further Consideration Of The Estimates For The Department Of Executive And Indigenous Affairs

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Members Present

Hon. Glen Abernethy , Mr. Beaulieu , Mr. Blake , Hon. Caroline Cochrane , Ms. Green , Hon. Jackson Lafferty , Hon. Bob McLeod , Hon. Robert McLeod , Hon. Alfred Moses , Mr. Nadli , Mr. Nakimayak , Mr. O'Reilly , Hon. Wally Schumann , Hon. Louis Sebert , Mr. Simpson , Mr. Testart , Mr. Thompson , Mr. Vanthuyne

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

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Prayer

Prayer

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Justice .

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Minister’s Statement 20-18(3): Transparency On Resource Royalties

Ministers' statements

Louis Sebert

Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, in responding to oral question 77-18 (3), I referenced the Bauer report and stated that I thought royalties received by the government of the Northwest Territories would be approximately $83 million a year. I have reviewed the Bauer report and the main estimates and would like to take this opportunity to correct the record. According to the main estimates, non-renewable resource revenue for 2015-2016 was $58,346,000, and for the following year was $63,284,000. I apologize for any misunderstanding this may have caused. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Minister’s Statement 20-18(3): Transparency On Resource Royalties

Ministers' statements

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs .

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Minister’s Statement 21-18(3): Recognizing Northwest Territories Olympians

Ministers' statements

Caroline Cochrane

Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, today I rise as the Minister responsible for Sport to congratulate three prominent athletes, all with ties to the Northwest Territories, who are competing for Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. On behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories and all of our residents, I am proud to speak today about Brendan Green, Jesse Cockney, and Kevin Koe.

Hay River’s Brendan Green will represent Canada in men’s biathlon events. Brendan was a member of Team NWT at the Arctic Winter Games in Yellowknife in 1998 and in Whitehorse in 2000. He has competed in the Canada Games in 2007 in both biathlon and cross-country skiing, where he won gold in the cross-country skiing event. As his career advanced, he reached the ultimate achievement in sport, appearances at the Olympic Games in Vancouver in 2010 and again in Sochi in 2014.

Through his career, the Government of the Northwest Territories has been proudly supporting him through the High Performance Athlete Grant program going back to 2005. His hard work, dedication and commitment make him a strong role model for young athletes across the Northwest Territories.

Jesse Cockney started cross-country skiing in Yellowknife at age three. He carries on the proud family tradition in the sport. His father, Angus Cockney, a former TEST Skier was an accomplished artist, represented the Northwest Territories on a number of occasions and won two gold medals at the Canada Games in 1975. As Jesse continued to advance in his own career, he, too, reached the podium with three gold medals at the 2011 Canada Winter Games. He would go on to make his Olympic debut in Sochi in 2014. In addition to his rigorous training, Jesse takes the time to be actively involved in mentoring other young Indigenous athletes.

Kevin Koe. Kevin comes from the well-known Koe family of curlers, and got his start in the sport in his earlier days in Yellowknife. Kevin participated in the Arctic Winter Games in 1992 in Whitehorse and in 1994 in Slave Lake. He is a three-time Canadian champion and two-time world curling champion. I am sure the family is brimming with pride as Kevin attends his first Olympic Games as a member of Team Canada. While Kevin now makes his home in Alberta, we in the Northwest Territories still take pride in claiming him as one of our own.

Winter sports are natural to Northwest Territories athletes. Sports not only keep our residents healthy and strong, but they develop lifelong teamwork and leadership skills. We are proud of all of our athletes, and having three athletes from the Northwest Territories reaching this level of success is empowering. These are true role models for all Northwest Territories residents, from children to seniors, whether you’re a weekend warrior or a high-performance athlete.

It is with great pride that, on behalf of all residents of the Northwest Territories, I acknowledge the achievements of these Northern Olympians, and wish them great success in Pyeongchang. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Minister’s Statement 21-18(3): Recognizing Northwest Territories Olympians

Ministers' statements

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment .

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Minister's Statement 22-18(3): What We Heard And Next Steps – Creation Of The Mineral Resources Act

Ministers' statements

Wally Schumann

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our government committed to providing support for mineral exploration and the mining sector, and to support the territorial vision of land and resource management in accordance with the Land Use and Sustainability Framework. The proposed Mineral Resources Act will be a landmark, made-in-the-North legislation for our territory, and we are investing in its drafting with this degree of importance.

As we work to develop what will be the NWT’s first-ever homegrown mining legislation, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has completed its most extensive public engagement since devolution. The extent of our public engagement and the themes that emerged from it are highlighted in the "what we heard" report released last month in association with our government’s work and investment in the AME Roundup.

Our 120-day public engagement period closed on December 1st last year. In total, the department received 516 oral and written submissions from NWT residents, Indigenous governments and organizations, industry, NGOs, and stakeholders. Three hundred and twenty-eight people participated in one-on-one engagement sessions that took place in Fort Smith, Fort Simpson, Hay River, Inuvik, Norman Wells, Behchoko, and Yellowknife.

ITI’s engagement portal received over 2,700 visits. While the broad public engagement period is now closed, a second round of targeted follow-up meetings are now being held with key stakeholders, and close to 200 people, subscribed to the project’s newsletter, will continue to be informed of progress on this file.

As we advance through the drafting process, we will also continue to meet and work with the Inter-Governmental Council and reach out to key stakeholders and subject matter experts to ensure our bill is the best product possible and will meet the needs of NWT residents. Mr. Speaker, our engagement has sparked a great deal of discussion around royalties. It is undoubtedly one of many whole-of-government discussions we need to have as we take ownership and responsibility for our future post-devolution.

Royalties directly impact the profitability and viability of resource development projects in the NWT. While we must get the best deal possible for NWT residents, we must also remember that we are almost wholly reliant on these projects to protect the economic environment that we already have. Capturing the economic benefit of resource development for the people of the Northwest Territories is a serious matter, but we will not be reviewing our resource royalty regime as part of our work on this proposed act.

I can assure Members that we will have the discussion, and when we do, it will be in the context of a broad fiscal review that includes and considers our existing taxes and other revenue collection methods related to the mining sector. Mr. Speaker, what we heard during public engagement, along with a consideration of key elements, the results of our scoping exercise, cross-jurisdictional reviews, and policy research, will now guide and inform the development of the new Mineral Resources Act.

I look forward to working with Members of this Legislative Assembly as this process continues to move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Minister's Statement 22-18(3): What We Heard And Next Steps – Creation Of The Mineral Resources Act

Ministers' statements

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Hay River North .

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Hay River Beautification Committee

Members' Statements

R.J. Simpson

Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, each week of this sitting, I am going to use one of my Member's statements to highlight one of Hay River's many non-profit organizations. With only five weeks left, I will barely make a dent, but it is worth starting to recognize those who make differences in our community. Mr. Speaker, whenever anyone visits Hay River, especially in the summer, they always comment on how beautiful it is. Of course, much of that is thanks to the natural landscape, but a debt of gratitude is also owed to the Hay River Beautification Committee.

As the name implies, the beautification committee leads and promotes several initiatives to beautify public and private spaces around Hay River. If you happen to be walking or driving around town and you see some flowers or some art and you think, "Oh, that is nice," there is a good chance the beautification committee had a hand in it one way or another.

The all-volunteer committee, with the help of residents, is responsible for the schools of decorative fish found on fences throughout town; the pots of flowers surrounding mailboxes; the wooden boats that are used as planters and teem with plants and flowers in the summer; the benches that line the walking trail along the river; and much more.

Perhaps what the committee is most known for is its annual “Yards in Bloom” competition, which encourages individuals and organizations to showcase their gardening skills. This encouragement has really paid off, and the effort that people put into their yards and gardens around Hay River, even if they’re not competing, is remarkable. Last year, there were 156 official entrants into the competition. Awards are given for the best yards in each of the six areas of town in the categories of either master or amateur gardener. There is also the Blooming with No Space award, the People’s Choice Award, and of course the Darm Crook Overall Winner.

In addition to aesthetic improvements to the community, the beautification committee also collaborates with other organizations to help the environment. For example, the committee teamed up with Ecology North to encourage the planting of flowers that support bees and to promote the important role bees play in our ecosystem. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to encourage the committee to keep up the good work and thank them for making the world a more beautiful place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Hay River Beautification Committee

Members' Statements

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North .

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Cannabis Policy

Members' Statements

Cory Vanthuyne

Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, later this year cannabis will become legal in Canada. A lot of Canadians think it is about time. People have been smoking cannabis for years. Its impacts are minor compared to things like alcohol, and medicinal marijuana has been legal for some time now. For others, it is dangerous ground with potential risks for young people, public safety, health impacts, impaired driving. All of these concerns are important to carefully consider.

Canada will be the first G20 nation to legalize and regulate cannabis at the national level. How should it be regulated and managed? How do we make sure it is safe? How do we best take advantage of its economic potentials?

That potential is enormous, and that is the piece I want to talk about. It is estimated that, in BC alone, the illicit cannabis industry is worth $5 billion a year. After legalization, that kind of money will be available to be channelled into the public sphere, where it can help fund regulation, research, education, medical applications, and economic development. Because it is an entirely new system, when we design our regulatory system we must remember our mandate goals, in particular, our commitment to diversifying the economy. Some northern entrepreneurs have already made their case.

They want to get into the cannabis business and are prepared to work with the government as partners moving forward. There are plenty of provincial models we can look to for examples of private retailing.

In Vancouver, over the past year, newly designed dispensaries are providing an enhanced customer service shopping experience for sales of cannabis products. They offer professional sales, expert-level product knowledge, and effective products. Even Nunavut is considering some level of private enterprise participation. They recognize that, with public oversight, there is potential for private sector benefits and efficiencies in the marketing of cannabis.

Mr. Speaker, it is important that, from the outset, our management regime should commit to the spreading of the wealth, permitting and encouraging private sector participation in this new industry. Private sector participation will not compromise responsible public oversight. I fear if we say, "well, we will do it later," then when later comes, consumers will be buying elsewhere and the prospect will be lost. Mr. Speaker, now is the time to make sure that we don't allow a valuable opportunity for economic growth and diversification to pass us by.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Finance at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Cannabis Policy

Members' Statements

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake .

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Updating Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Members' Statements

Kieron Testart

Kam Lake

Mr. Speaker, the 33 communities of the Northwest Territories are governed by a suite of territorial legislation made up of the Hamlets Act, the Charter Communities Act, and the Cities, Towns and Villages Act, all of which were enacted in 2003. Together, these statutes provide the legal authority for municipal operations in all of our communities.

The Cities, Towns and Villages Act, also referred to as the CTV Act, governs the larger communities in the Northwest Territories, including the City of Yellowknife. It provides the essential legal framework establishing a municipality and authorizing it to conduct business. It prescribes the roles and duties of the mayor, council members, and municipal employees. It sets out how records must be kept, the power of a municipality to enter into contracts, and its legal authority to own property.

The act also establishes the legislative powers of municipalities, setting out their authority to pass bylaws and placing limitations on that authority. It governs how a municipality must manage its financial affairs, including borrowing and debt management. As well, the act governs how a municipality must interact with members of the public, including provisions for public notice, voter petitions, and access to public places.

Mr. Speaker, our municipal governments do a big job. They ensure our citizens have access to vital front-line services. They keep the traffic moving, the water flowing, and they make sure our residents are safe and able to participate in programs that support vibrant community living. Municipalities need all the help they can get from this government. They deserve to operate with up-to-date legislation that helps them get the job done in today's fast-paced world.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the City, Towns and Villages Act has not had the benefit of any comprehensive review or substantive updating since it was passed 15 years ago. The act is administered by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. During the review of this department's budget, Regular Members and the Standing Committee on Government Operations have repeatedly expressed deep reservations about the ability of this department to meet its own legislative agenda.

During the review of MACA's 2016-2017 Main Estimates, the deputy minister at the time acknowledged in this House that the legislation requires a lot of amendments, including those that have been requested by the NWT Association of Communities "over the years." Mr. Speaker, Members of this Assembly are growing increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of legislative change from this government. Above all, we are put here by our constituents to do the job of passing legislation. Let's get on with the CTV Act amendments, and let's get our cities, towns, and villages the help that they need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Updating Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Members' Statements

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake .

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Carbon Pricing

Members' Statements

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. Regular MLAs and the public have heard almost nothing from our Cabinet colleagues on the issue of carbon pricing since the fall of 2017. On July 26th of last year, the Minister of Finance released a discussion paper and public comment closed on September 15th. A public survey was also conducted.

Although the discussion paper shows a heavy anti-tax bias, the right questions were generally asked in terms of taxes versus cap and trade, revenue use, sectoral distribution, implementation, and reporting. Where are the results of this public engagement? Here we are, five months later, and our government has not released a "what we heard" report. There has been no policy direction, no legislative proposal, nothing in the budget, and hardly a mention in the NWT Energy Strategy or the Climate Change Strategic Framework. What are we waiting for?

The federal government released proposed legislation for carbon pricing on January 15th of this year. Letters were also sent to all provincial and territorial Premiers setting a March 30, 2018, deadline for choosing the federal backstop or developing their own system to be in place by the end of 2018.

The federal carbon pricing system has two elements:

• A charge on fossil fuels (for example, gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas), which would be paid by fuel producers or distributers.

• An output-based pricing system for industrial facilities with high levels of emissions.

What will our government do with regard to carbon pricing? Does our government even believe in carbon pricing or climate change? There continues to be rumours of the NWT getting some kind of exemption, which this government has been pushing for all along. Has this government finally accepted our responsibility to address climate change with carbon pricing?

Since we've heard so little from our Cabinet on climate change, I will have questions later today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Carbon Pricing

Members' Statements

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho .

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Addiction Treatment Centres Tour

Members' Statements

Michael Nadli

Deh Cho

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Addiction Treatment Centres Tour

Members' Statements

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre .

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National Inquiry Into Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women And Girls Hearings In Yellowknife

Members' Statements

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I spent many hours a couple of weeks ago listening to the testimony of Northerners at the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls hearing that was held here in Yellowknife. I want to congratulate everyone who decided to speak in public. It gave those of us listening an opportunity to hear from families directly affected by the loss of their family members and about the scourge of family violence.

Here are some of my takeaways. When her father murdered her mother, Lesa Semmler became an orphan for all intents and purposes after her father went to jail. The same was true for Jayda Andre's nephew. The loss of parents always creates profound sadness, but imagine living with the fact that the death was deliberate and committed by a family member.

Mr. Speaker, the testimony of these two women made clear the second element: that their families helped them to the best of their ability, but the victims didn't or couldn't access counselling. Part of the issue is how interrelated the small communities are and how divisive this kind of traumatic event. Jayda Andre said that she didn't want to counsellors in Fort McPherson because they were related to the killer. That's understandable, and other counselling options are a long way away -- here in Yellowknife.

A third takeaway for me is about the importance of helping children. Lesa Semmler was eight when her mother died, and Joni Andre's son was two. They need special attention to process what has happened to them and targeted learning about positive ways to deal with anger in order to break the cycle of violence. To the best of my knowledge, this program is offered only in Yellowknife, so it wouldn't have helped either of these children.

Mr. Speaker, my final takeaway is about the status of women in the NWT. There is no escaping the fact that abusive men are tolerated, and violence against women is tolerated. Despite the fact that the NWT has the second-highest rate of family violence in the country, no new resources have been allocated to prevention and eradication, except for the men's healing program. While many women support this program because they see benefits for themselves, it doesn't help keep them safe when they are being attacked, and it doesn't help their children who grow up in violent homes.

Mr. Speaker, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls hearing provided the first public conversation about family violence in the NWT in decades. It was an important experience for those who witnessed it, and I hope it was constructive for those who spoke. I'm disappointed that no one from Cabinet attended until the closing ceremonies. I hope that isn't an indication of their willingness to implement the commission's recommendations when they come out later this year. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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National Inquiry Into Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women And Girls Hearings In Yellowknife

Members' Statements

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statement. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh .

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Mental Health And Addictions Services

Members' Statements

Tom Beaulieu

Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I would like to talk about a major issue that we are facing in the North. Many people suffer from mental health and addiction issues in the NWT. These issues affect not only the individual, but their family, friends, co-workers, and the community. It is one of the leading causes of disability affecting more than 6.7 million Canadians. It is also very costly to the justice, health, and education systems in the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, we do not have a northern addiction treatment facility in the NWT. Our members have the option to attend treatment centres down South, either in Alberta or British Columbia. This may not be feasible for all individuals; some examples may be those with one income, small children, elderly parents, or employment conflicts. The statistics show that, in 2016-2017, a total of 172 people from the NWT attended a southern treatment centre.

Mr. Speaker, in the North there are many alcohol-related crimes, but I believe that many of those could have been prevented. I would like to mention that a judge on the NWT Supreme Court wished that treating addictions was "more of a priority" in the NWT. A judge called for more resources to be dedicated to fight substance abuse in the territory during a sentence hearing February 17, 2017, relating to one of my constituents. Many of our northern residents have been criminalized for suffering with alcohol and substance-related issues. It is clear that we need far more resources in the North to address this major social problem.

Mr. Speaker, in addition, I would like to see the creation and implementation of on-the-land programs geared for our youth starting at the elementary school level. We can create a new mentality of examining and addressing addictions and mental health, and one which focuses on prevention, treatment, and understanding. Mr. Speaker, another aspect is to focus on the services offered to those incarcerated. Helping to truly rehabilitate, educate those individuals, and provide ongoing care and commitment: this could help establish successful individuals. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mental Health And Addictions Services

Members' Statements

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh .

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Eulogy For Sarah Jane Mcleod

Members' Statements

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I regret to inform you that Sarah Jane McLeod passed away on October 12, 2017. Sara Jane Isaiah was known as well as Sally. She was born on September 27, 1933, in Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, to Eva Isaiah and Foster Browning.

Sally grew up in Aklavik as a ward of the church. She attended school there. As an adult, she returned to Fort Simpson, where she did odd jobs around the community before moving to Edmonton to work at the Charles Campsell Hospital. Later on, she returned to the North to work as a domestic worker for the family who ran the Forestry Department in Fort Liard.

There, she met her future husband, William Charles McLeod, who passed away previous to her. William had four children from his previous marriage, Frederick, Phillip, Mavis, and Ernest. Sally and Willie were married in 1953. They had nine children together; Angus, Ellen, Morris, Gladys, Ruby, Mabel, Kathie, Sharon, and Dolly.

Mr. Speaker, Sally had many talents. She was a wonderful seamstress and a fabulous cook. She made parkas and moccasins for her whole family, and they looked forward to receiving these. She sold parkas to the RCMP. She worked as a cook for local prisoners and various workers who came into town, then she decided to seek employment with the Hudson Bay Company. Later, she became the post mistress when the post office moved to the Northern Store. She held that position until she retired.

After retirement, she spent her time reading, doing crossword puzzles, and watching movies. Whenever somebody stopped by her house, there was always coffee, tea, and pilot biscuits. She was famous for having two candy dishes left for visitors. She was a caring, gentle, and soft-spoken lady whom I got to visit numerous times.

At age 70, Sara undertook the raising of her great grandchild Leona, who was just six months old. Sara was surrounded by her family in Fort Liard, as most of them still live there with their families. In her late years, Shayla, her granddaughter, would do her errands and make sure that her bills were paid and she had groceries. Various sons, daughters, and grandchildren were always visiting her and taking her on outings. Her son Angus took her berry picking just prior to her 86th birthday.

Christmas was a busy time for her. She would make sure each and every one of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren had something special. You think you knew her. All through the years, her children bought her Elvis memorabilia, and she would display this throughout the house. Just recently before she passed away, she commented, "I don't know why my family keeps buying me so much Elvis stuff. I don't like him." Sara Jane McLeod passed away surrounded by her family. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Eulogy For Sarah Jane Mcleod

Members' Statements

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Our condolences to the family, as well. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, acknowledgments. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Kam Lake .

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Question 80-18(3): Status Of Amendments To Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs well knows the issue of the outstanding amendments to the Cities, Towns and Villages Act, earlier in the day in my Member's statement quoted one of her officials from a business plan review for 2016-2017. I would like to ask the Minister today: what progress has been done since that review on updating the Cities, Towns and Villages Act? Thank you.

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Question 80-18(3): Status Of Amendments To Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs .

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Question 80-18(3): Status Of Amendments To Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Caroline Cochrane

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have come to learn that change in legislation does take a little bit more time than I would like to think it does, so it takes a lot of stakeholder engagement, a lot of writing, et cetera. What progress have we made? We have actually met with the six tax-based municipalities that would be affected by the CTV Act to look at things like the energy retrofits. We've also talked about the hotel tax levy with them. On the note of the hotel tax levy, we've had to meet with other stakeholders, so we have met with the Northwest Territories and the Regional Chamber of Commerce.

We've met with the Hotel Association. From those stakeholder engagements, then, we move forward, and so we're in the process right now of drafting our proposal, which will be submitted in March coming up here next month, and from there we're looking at implementing our first bill to be presented in the May/June sitting. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 80-18(3): Status Of Amendments To Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kam Lake

I appreciate the stakeholder engagement that's gone into this. The Association of NWT Communities has recommended these changes and other changes in the legislation for, I think, a decade now, so it's nice to see the department moving forward. I'm wondering if there's any possible way that the Minister can move up the timeline? The reason I ask, Mr. Speaker, is the City of Yellowknife is depending on some of these changes so they can afford their tourism operation.

I just don't want to be put in the situation where we're not able to give the City of Yellowknife this legislative change and they are forced to raise taxes in order to support tourism operation, which is, of course, something that this government takes very seriously. Is there any way we can move the legislative proposal up to this sitting so the standing committee can get a look at it before waiting for May/June?

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Question 80-18(3): Status Of Amendments To Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Caroline Cochrane

Range Lake

As stated at the beginning, I didn't realize that changing legislation takes as long as it does take. I often wish I could get them all off of my desk, but I realize it takes time. We are on a timeline that was submitted a year ago. We are on the timeline that was submitted just before the sitting. The proposal will be put in, in March. I can't move it any faster than the process takes, so the bill will be introduced to standing committee in May/June, and hopefully standing committee won't take as long and we will be able to get that off and rolling.

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Question 80-18(3): Status Of Amendments To Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kam Lake

I'll just remind the Minister that the changes that the department has narrowed down and has been consulting on have been recommended by Regular Members every year. So I can speak for the standing committee now that, if the legislative proposal contains the exact same recommendations that we've been making, we're pretty good to go with it. So, again, will the Minister expedite this matter? My concern is: we need to meet the timelines. I represent the riding here in Yellowknife.

I'm looking out for my constituents, and I want to make sure that they're not burdened by the inability of this legislative proposal to move forward in a timely fashion, and it's going to impact the City of Yellowknife's budget. They're paying for --

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Question 80-18(3): Status Of Amendments To Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

I think the Minister heard your question, so I'll allow the Minister for Community Affairs to respond.

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Question 80-18(3): Status Of Amendments To Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Caroline Cochrane

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am trying to move it as quickly as possible. I haven't been here for 10 years. So I don't know what happened 10 years ago, but I do know that we've been working at it hard. I don't trust that 10 years ago the stories that were put out there are the same as today. For example, when we talked to the Tourism Association, we learned that tour packages have already been sold for this year. That impacts the bill and the timing of this. So there were considerations. We had to go out for stakeholder feedback, and so I am really appreciative of the department for actually doing that work.

Again, we will move the process as soon as possible. It will be introduced in the May/June sitting, and as soon as we get the process approved, we will be moving it forward, but we can't move any faster than the process takes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 80-18(3): Status Of Amendments To Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake .

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Question 80-18(3): Status Of Amendments To Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I'm sure you can tell, I'm passionate about this issue. It's long overdue. In addition to these changes that are being proposed, these minor changes to the CTV, has this allowed the department to look at other outstanding changes and consult on other issues with the CTV Act? It's a big piece of legislation. Is the Minister contemplating any other changes to the CTV Act? Thank you.

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Question 80-18(3): Status Of Amendments To Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Caroline Cochrane

Range Lake

The CTV Act that we're looking at changing will be for the hotel tax levy and for the energy retrofits that the Municipality of Yellowknife wanted to push forward. So I do appreciate the words of the honourable MLA that's stating that he doesn't project it would be taking long with standing committee. I'm not sure if he represents the voice of all the standing committee in the House here today, but if I could get that in writing that they have no issues, that they don't need to review it, that it can go as stated, then I will take that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 80-18(3): Status Of Amendments To Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh .

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Question 81-18(3): Process For Disconnecting Service

Oral Questions

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as most people, Members, we end up with issues that are related to people's issues with the Power Corporation and that, or Housing Corporation and, you know, arrears and that. So my questions today are for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation . Mr. Speaker, what policy or procedures does the corporation follow when they have overdue accounts? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 81-18(3): Process For Disconnecting Service

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation.

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Question 81-18(3): Process For Disconnecting Service

Oral Questions

Louis Sebert

Thebacha

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Question 81-18(3): Process For Disconnecting Service

Oral Questions

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

I thank the Minister for his answer. Mr. Speaker, we have a number of individuals who live in public housing, and so they have to pay their bills accordingly and that. Can the Minister please advise, if a person lives in public housing, does the Power Corporation reach out to the local housing authority and advise them of the situation? In other words, if the power is going to be cut or restricted?

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Question 81-18(3): Process For Disconnecting Service

Oral Questions

Louis Sebert

Thebacha

Yes, the local housing authorities are made aware of any collection efforts which affect their clients and their assets. This notification is provided prior to any notice being sent out to the clients.

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Question 81-18(3): Process For Disconnecting Service

Oral Questions

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess I'm going to have to, kind of, go with that question here: how do they communicate that with the local housing authority? Is it through e-mail? Is it through telephone? How do they communicate that information?

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Question 81-18(3): Process For Disconnecting Service

Oral Questions

Louis Sebert

Thebacha

I'm not absolutely certain the manner in which they do contact the local housing authority or organization. I would expect it would be by mail, but I will look into that further.

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Question 81-18(3): Process For Disconnecting Service

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh .

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Question 81-18(3): Process For Disconnecting Service

Oral Questions

Shane Thompson

Nahendeh

Thank you, and I thank the Minister for that, and I apologize. It just jumped into my head there, and I appreciate the direct response from the Minister and the commitment. I'm hoping they actually reach out by phone call instead of just by mail. So my last question to the Minister is: does the corporation have a policy that they follow to disconnect the power for good, and what is the threshold for this decision-making? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 81-18(3): Process For Disconnecting Service

Oral Questions

Louis Sebert

Thebacha

"Where accounts are not paid by customer before the expiration of a notice given to the customer pursuant to this section, the corporation may forthwith disconnect the customer from service and may refuse to reconnect the customer for service until the accounts in arrears, a security deposit payable under

section 5.7 and 5.8, and a reconnection fee as set out in

schedule C are fully paid. As an alternative to disconnection during winter months, the corporation may, at its sole discretion, acting reasonably, install a device to limit the electricity available to the customer."

So if a customer account is not paid within seven days of the due date, the corporation may give a 48-hour notice, and if the customer fails to respond, either by making a required payment or entering into an agreed-upon payment arrangement, which is often done, the account will be disconnected. As I mentioned, the policy does allow for a device in the winter months to limit the electricity available. So that is the Power Corporation's policy in dealing with this matter.

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Question 81-18(3): Process For Disconnecting Service

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North .

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Question 82-18(3): Economic Opportunities Arising From Legalization Of Cannabis

Oral Questions

Cory Vanthuyne

Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today I talked about the legalization of cannabis and, in particular, I had a focus with regard to the NWT taking advantage of economic development opportunities and diversifying our economy. My questions today are for the Minister of Finance with regard to the government's plan to create a regime for management of cannabis. I'd like to start by asking the Minister: what economic opportunities to the NWT does the Minister envision for the legalization of cannabis? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 82-18(3): Economic Opportunities Arising From Legalization Of Cannabis

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Finance .

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Question 82-18(3): Economic Opportunities Arising From Legalization Of Cannabis

Oral Questions

Robert C. McLeod

Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, because it is early days, the plan is for the Liquor Commission to assume the responsibility for the importation and sale of cannabis across the Northwest Territories with liquor stores that currently operate under contract to the Liquor Commission. That being said, the Liquor Commission would also consider licensing private cannabis-only stores, once the market is stable with reliable supply chains. That might be where the Member's questions are, where the product is coming from.

As part of the “way forward” document that was released in 2017, I believe, we had spoken there about the growing and distribution of marijuana, but that is the federal government. They will be looking after the licensing and the approval for those who want to grow cannabis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 82-18(3): Economic Opportunities Arising From Legalization Of Cannabis

Oral Questions

Cory Vanthuyne

Yellowknife North

Thank you to the Minister for the reply. I mean, it's good to hear that the Minister envisions that there is going to be some future where there is opportunity for potential retail sales. I do recognize that the growing of cannabis will still be under federal legislation. I guess the question then is: we know that it is going to be sold through liquor stores in the meantime, but has the government or will the government, in fact, reconsider this, given the input received from entrepreneurs wanting to get into this business? Can we right now start to give consideration to local opportunities, northern opportunities for retail of cannabis?

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Question 82-18(3): Economic Opportunities Arising From Legalization Of Cannabis

Oral Questions

Robert C. McLeod

Inuvik Twin Lakes

I take the Member's point, but the approach is to start cautiously. I mean, this is a new activity, and as I said in my previous reply, there is an opportunity, once we get through this, to have the Liquor Commission looking at licensing retailers for the sale of cannabis.

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Question 82-18(3): Economic Opportunities Arising From Legalization Of Cannabis

Oral Questions

Cory Vanthuyne

Yellowknife North

Again, yes, I appreciate that it seems like there is going to be some opportunity, but it seems to be in the distant future, and we are trying to narrow it down then, I guess. If it is not going to be immediately right now while we are legalizing cannabis, then can the Minister maybe outline when it might be that we can give consideration to this?

The fear here, as I noted in my Member's statement, is that we are going to lose this opportunity. If we wait too long, then the opportunity will be lost, and folks will just find ways in which to acquire their cannabis. Can the Minister please outline for us when this government plans on allowing the public to take advantage of economic opportunities to retail cannabis?

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Question 82-18(3): Economic Opportunities Arising From Legalization Of Cannabis

Oral Questions

Robert C. McLeod

Inuvik Twin Lakes

I did point out that you will be able to purchase cannabis legally from liquor stores that are currently under contract with the Liquor Commission, and I did say that we will have a look at the possibility of going out to private retailers. I did not have a timeline on that, and I am not going to give a timeline, but again, because this is completely new right across the country, we want to make sure that we are in a position that we are able to do it right.

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Question 82-18(3): Economic Opportunities Arising From Legalization Of Cannabis

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North .

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Question 82-18(3): Economic Opportunities Arising From Legalization Of Cannabis

Oral Questions

Cory Vanthuyne

Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I know it is going to sound like I am repeating myself, and I am probably going to get a repetitive answer, but there are other jurisdictions around the country that are already doing this. This is not something that we have to reinvent. Our neighbour, our sister territory Nunavut, is giving consideration as we speak to the privatization aspect of cannabis retail. Will the Minister at least reach out to his colleagues in Nunavut and ask them by what means they are giving consideration to privatizing the sales of cannabis and report back to us? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 82-18(3): Economic Opportunities Arising From Legalization Of Cannabis

Oral Questions

Robert C. McLeod

Inuvik Twin Lakes

I did not close the door on the possibility of going out to private retailers, which a lot of these liquor stores in the Northwest Territories are, private retailers, but I did not close that door. I did say we will give some consideration as to a specific timeline. I do not have that, but I can assure the Member that we will be giving some consideration, and to answer his question, yes, we will reach out to our counterparts in Nunavut to see what their approach has been. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 82-18(3): Economic Opportunities Arising From Legalization Of Cannabis

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake .

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Question 83-18(3): Carbon Pricing

Oral Questions

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I'd like to start with something really simple: can the Minister of Finance tell the public whether our government actually believes in climate change and that carbon pricing is an essential tool to address this threat? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 83-18(3): Carbon Pricing

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. The Member is asking for the Minister's opinion. Can he reiterate the question?

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Question 83-18(3): Carbon Pricing

Oral Questions

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. Yes, I can clarify that. Can the Minister of Finance , then, tell the public: what is the position of our government with regard to climate change, impacts on our environment and our people, and whether carbon pricing is an essential tool to address this threat? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 83-18(3): Carbon Pricing

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Finance .

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Question 83-18(3): Carbon Pricing

Oral Questions

Robert C. McLeod

Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the position of the government is, because we see the effects of climate change quicker than the rest of the country, of course we know that is a serious concern, especially up in the Arctic. That is why we have taken steps through the Climate Change Strategic Framework and the carbon pricing paper that we are working on to try and help mitigate the effects of climate change on the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 83-18(3): Carbon Pricing

Oral Questions

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Apologies for not offering the question properly. I appreciate the response from the Minister. He did not really address the issue, though, of carbon pricing as an essential tool. Earlier today I tried to jog the memory of our Cabinet colleagues on the issue of carbon pricing. The public commentary for the discussion paper and survey closed on September 15th of last year. Can the Minister of Finance tell us if and when a "what we heard" report is going to be released and whether the written submissions received will also be released?

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Question 83-18(3): Carbon Pricing

Oral Questions

Robert C. McLeod

Inuvik Twin Lakes

We are planning on sharing the information that was gathered. I think we have a briefing scheduled with committee during this session, so we plan on sharing our findings with committee, and then we need to share some of the information we have gathered with the federal government, and then we will be in a position to share with the public as well.

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Question 83-18(3): Carbon Pricing

Oral Questions

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Thanks to the Minister for that explanation. It sounds like there are a lot of things that are still coming, but we actually have a hard deadline we have to deal with. The federal government keeps moving forward with the national approach on climate change that will allow Canada to meet its international obligations. We now have a deadline of March 30th, about seven weeks away, to make a decision about our own carbon pricing system or rely on the federal backstop. Can the Minister tell us how he intends to meet this federal deadline and still include the input of committee, and perhaps the public, on his proposed course of actions?

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Question 83-18(3): Carbon Pricing

Oral Questions

Robert C. McLeod

Inuvik Twin Lakes

The Member is correct. We do have a very hard deadline, but we have done a lot of work on this. We do plan on sharing our findings with committee, and one of the challenges we had is that we wanted to get out there and we wanted to get opinions from across the Northwest Territories.

Using the federal backstop, we wanted to make sure that the Northwest Territories was well-positioned to mitigate the effects of carbon pricing on the residents of the Northwest Territories, and I think, through the correspondence and the surveys and the discussions we have had, that we have had a lot of feedback on how people thought it would affect them. I think the sign of a good government is to make sure that we mitigate the effects that it is going to have on the residents of the Northwest Territories.

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Question 83-18(3): Carbon Pricing

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake .

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Question 83-18(3): Carbon Pricing

Oral Questions

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. Thanks again to the Minister for that, but we do not have a firm

schedule from the Minister. He has admitted there is a lot of work that has to be done. We do not even have the results from the discussion paper consultations. He has to work with committee. He says he is going to talk to the public. Can the Minister commit to table a

schedule of these sort of consultations leading up to the March 30th deadline in this House as soon as possible? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 83-18(3): Carbon Pricing

Oral Questions

Robert C. McLeod

Inuvik Twin Lakes

I am not quite sure exactly when our briefing is with committee. I will have to get that information, and in the consensus-style government we work in, we want to share our information with committee before we share with anyone else.

We will have that conversation, but I can assure committee and members of the public that this government will be ready by the March 30th deadline. I know the federal government wants the submissions by then. They are going to review them, and then possibly come out in September with some comments on the material that we have submitted.

Again, I will say, at the end of the day, our main goal here is to work with what we have to make sure that there is not a negative impact on the people of the Northwest Territories. We want to let the federal government know of our unique situation up here. We have told them that a few times. Hopefully, they will recognize that and give us some assurance that they will take that into account when they review our document. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 83-18(3): Carbon Pricing

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre .

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Question 84-18(3): Historical Case Unit Within The RCMP

Oral Questions

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Justice . The Finance Minister announced $300,000 to establish a historical case unit within the RCMP in the budget that he presented last week. He said that two of our RCMP and one civil servant will "work to protect the integrity of the evidence in these historical files and to make further advances in solving these cases." Can the Minister of Justice tell us what this means?

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Question 84-18(3): Historical Case Unit Within The RCMP

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister for Justice .

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Question 84-18(3): Historical Case Unit Within The RCMP

Oral Questions

Louis Sebert

Thebacha

The Member opposite is quite correct. There are $304,000 of funding approved for the establishment of a historical case unit within the RCMP. As the Member alluded to in her question, there are two RCMP members and a civilian involved in this. What they are doing is they are looking through historical cases that fall into several categories. They are going back to 1985, 33 years ago. They are looking at homicides; suspicious deaths; missing persons where foul play is suspected; any missing person where the body has not been located; or when unidentified human remains have been found. That is what they are going to be looking at going back to 1985.

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Question 84-18(3): Historical Case Unit Within The RCMP

Oral Questions

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you to the Minister of Justice for that answer. How does the mandate for this unit differ from the day-to-day work of the RCMP in solving crime? What is new?

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Question 84-18(3): Historical Case Unit Within The RCMP

Oral Questions

Louis Sebert

Thebacha

The main difference will be that this small unit within the RCMP will be looking specifically at these historical cases that remain unresolved.

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Question 84-18(3): Historical Case Unit Within The RCMP

Oral Questions

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Can the Minister advise us: of the 63 open cases in the NWT, how many of them have been resolved in the last five years?

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Question 84-18(3): Historical Case Unit Within The RCMP

Oral Questions

Louis Sebert

Thebacha

I understand that there are 63 open investigations, which I took to mean that those were ones that had not yet been resolved.

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Question 84-18(3): Historical Case Unit Within The RCMP

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre .

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Question 84-18(3): Historical Case Unit Within The RCMP

Oral Questions

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi. I appreciate that clarification from the Minister of Justice . Of course, those cases are ones that need to be resolved. I wonder about the rate at which historical cases have been resolved in the last five years and, related to that, how success will be measured in this historical case unit. Mahsi.

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Question 84-18(3): Historical Case Unit Within The RCMP

Oral Questions

Louis Sebert

Thebacha

As I mentioned earlier, this unit will be dedicated to looking at these historical cases and presumably will be providing me with updates that I could also provide to this House. Thank you.

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Question 84-18(3): Historical Case Unit Within The RCMP

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh .

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Question 85-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Facility

Oral Questions

Tom Beaulieu

Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement, I talked about addictions and mental health. I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services questions around the treatment. I would like to ask the Minister if there have been any discussions about re-opening a cultural-based treatment facility in NWT. Thank you.

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Question 85-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Facility

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Health and Social Services .

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Question 85-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Facility

Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this time there is no plan to open a treatment facility in the Northwest Territories. I can say that K'atlodeeche have been working closely with the Department of Health and Social Services on utilizing the old Nats’ejee K’eh facility as a traditional wellness centre to focus on healing and other supportive activities for Indigenous people in the Northwest Territories. I can also say that the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation is looking at providing wellness-type centre services here in the Northwest Territories located in Yellowknife.

We have made space available for them on the Stanton campus, where they are currently working on an interim measure, some tents and other things, so that they can begin some of their wellness-type programming. Although there is no treatment centre or treatment facility, there is progress being made on different wellness centre options available in the Northwest Territories. Thank you. Mr. Speaker.

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Question 85-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Facility

Oral Questions

Tom Beaulieu

Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

I would like to ask the Minister if any of that work is going towards trying to create mobile treatment possibilities or mobile treatment programs, whether it be out of Stanton or Nats’ejee K’eh or anywhere, just something that is mobile where counsellors can go into communities as opposed to the community members going into a treatment centre.

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Question 85-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Facility

Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

Mobile treatment is one of the options that we have pursued and continue to pursue here in the Northwest Territories. It hasn't made the type of progress that I or any of my colleagues would like to see. We did run a pilot in Fort Resolution a year and a half ago. We haven't delivered as a government since that time, but we are continuing to monitor it and look at options to deliver.

I can say that we should really applaud some of our partners like Salt River First Nation and Chief Martselos, who actually stood up and met with southern partners and provided a local mobile treatment option in Fort Smith, certainly an option for many of our partners to explore. I know that there, a partner has reached out to some of the other Indigenous governments in the Northwest Territories to see if they are delivered. We want to continue to be very supportive of that work. Things are happening, not quite as much as I think any of us like to see, but we are continuing to try to make more progress in that area.

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Question 85-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Facility

Oral Questions

Tom Beaulieu

Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Something that appears to go well with mobile treatment is on-the-land treatment. I would like to ask the Minister if there are opportunities or if there are some initiatives where the departments working with the communities provide on-the-land treatment near the communities or just outside of some of the communities that we have where there are cultural camps and so on near the communities?

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Question 85-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Facility

Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

This government makes $1.2 million available through the Department of Health and Social Services to support on-the-land programming that is led by different Aboriginal governments across the Northwest Territories. That money flows every year. I can say that there are a number of on-the-land programs that are available. They are all different. Every one of the Indigenous governments has indicated their own way of doing things. They have some specific things they are trying to accomplish at the regional level.

We have said we would make our clinical staff available to them. Some of them have taken us up on that. Others have not. We have also been pursuing an on-the-land collaborative with organizations outside of the Government of the Northwest Territories like Tides Canada to support more options. One of the things we have done with our Indigenous partners is we have started to work on the development of evaluation criteria for on-the-land programming. It has never been done before. We have worked closely with different governments like the Tlicho government and others to develop those. We are making progress in that area, as well.

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Question 85-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Facility

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh .

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Question 85-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Facility

Oral Questions

Tom Beaulieu

Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Minister of Finance's budget speech, he mentioned there will be child and youth counsellors in the communities. I think that is an excellent initiative. I would like to ask the Minister of Health if those counsellors will be versed in addiction treatment. Thank you.

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Question 85-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Facility

Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

These youth community counsellors will be fully trained counsellors here in the Northwest Territories. They will be part of an integrated team. They will certainly have access to all of the programs and services that are available for youth. They will be able to provide supports to our youth, but also referrals, as well. It is a holistic approach to providing those services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 85-18(3): Mental Health And Addictions Facility

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake .

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Question 86-18(3): Support To Municipalities Arising From Amendment Of Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs for clarifying that the department is moving forward with amendments on the CTV Act. I have a follow-up question: will the Minister coordinate the introduction of the CTV Act amendments with municipal governments, including the City of Yellowknife, to allow municipalities time to establish their own authorities to effectively implement the changes? Thank you. Mr. Speaker.

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Question 86-18(3): Support To Municipalities Arising From Amendment Of Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs .

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Question 86-18(3): Support To Municipalities Arising From Amendment Of Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Caroline Cochrane

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am a bit confused with the question, however, because none of the municipalities have actually approached me as the Minister and asked me to help coordinate their work. If the municipalities do approach me, my job is to support the municipalities. If the municipalities approach me and ask for support, we will do whatever we can to support them. Thank you. Mr. Speaker.

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Question 86-18(3): Support To Municipalities Arising From Amendment Of Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kam Lake

Will the Minister approach the municipalities herself instead of waiting reactively for them to approach her? Will she approach the municipalities and coordinate these amendments?

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Question 86-18(3): Support To Municipalities Arising From Amendment Of Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Caroline Cochrane

Range Lake

To deal with each municipality, for me to reach out to each individual community government and ask them if they need my help would be very cumbersome, and I regret that I might forget one. There are 32 communities that we actually support. However, we work closely with the NWT Association of Communities. We are actually going down there, I believe, this weekend coming up. I am assuming, if they have issues, then that is where I am. They know me; they will come and approach me if they need help. My office is open. Municipal and Community Affairs is always willing to work with them.

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Question 86-18(3): Support To Municipalities Arising From Amendment Of Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kam Lake

I will move off this, Mr. Speaker. In the case of the City of Yellowknife, if the City of Yellowknife is unable to establish the appropriate authorities in time to fund tourism and visitor services, will the Minister commit to providing additional funding to the City of Yellowknife so that they will not be faced with a budget shortfall while these amendments take time to get started?

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Question 86-18(3): Support To Municipalities Arising From Amendment Of Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Caroline Cochrane

Range Lake

I do worry a little bit about the Municipality of Yellowknife being able to access the hotel tax levy, although I must state that they have never had it before. My understanding in working with the Minister of Infrastructure is that there was funding last year provided for tourism through the Northern Frontier Visitors Association. That funding actually expires at the end of this year, but those are normal contracting procedures, that funding expires at the end of a year or two years or three years, and they rewrite it.

My understanding at this point is that that money that was provided to the Northern Frontier Visitors Association will be provided to the City of Yellowknife because they provide the visitor services. I am not sure if there is extra money that the Member is talking about, but that money, from my understanding, is set to roll out.

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Question 86-18(3): Support To Municipalities Arising From Amendment Of Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake .

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Question 86-18(3): Support To Municipalities Arising From Amendment Of Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister reach out to the City of Yellowknife, canvass with them on any potential funding shortfalls, and commit to working with them to resolve those shortfalls, either with additional funding or with legislative change by the end of this session? Thank you.

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Question 86-18(3): Support To Municipalities Arising From Amendment Of Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

Caroline Cochrane

Range Lake

As stated before, the City of Yellowknife has not approached me as the Minister to intervene on their behalf. As the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs , I am open to any municipality or any of our funded bodies that need our assistance.

With the City of Yellowknife, I will be seeing them on the weekend, I believe, coming up here at the NWT Association of Communities AGM. If they have any concerns for me as the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs , I am more than interested to listen to their concerns and see how I can assist them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 86-18(3): Support To Municipalities Arising From Amendment Of Cities, Towns And Villages Act

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre .

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Question 87-18(3): Seniors Day Program

Oral Questions

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services . Four months ago, I rose in this House and I asked questions about the review of the day program for elders available here in Yellowknife. I was told the review was done. Subsequently, the report was tabled, and as we stand here today there still is no day program for seniors in Yellowknife. I would appreciate an update from the Minister on when his department plans to resume this service. Thank you.

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Question 87-18(3): Seniors Day Program

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services .

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Question 87-18(3): Seniors Day Program

Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on conversations with the Member and committee, we have agreed to move forward with the development of a seniors' day program here in Yellowknife.

The RFP was supposed to be out shortly before Christmas. Unfortunately, we ran into some difficulties with some of the content. We want to make sure we get it right. It is my understanding that the department has almost finalized that work, and we are hoping that the RFP goes out very shortly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 87-18(3): Seniors Day Program

Oral Questions

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

I am very familiar with the "we don't want to rush; we want to get it right" answer here, but we are talking about almost a year-and-a-half delay in providing any kind of day programming for seniors in Yellowknife. I would like to think that this is highest priority the Minister has, in order to ensure that our seniors are well looked after during the day. Can he please give us some more specifics about not only when the RFP will come out, but when the service provision is anticipated to start?

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Question 87-18(3): Seniors Day Program

Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

As I indicated, the RFP is almost done. As far as the drafting, we are hoping that that RFP will come out in the next couple of weeks. It will follow its normal process to make sure that we are getting solid applications. They will all be assessed and evaluated against the criteria that is established in the RFP.

I am hoping that we can get this contract out as quickly as possible, hopefully before the end of this fiscal year. Granted that we really only have about a month and a half before that time ends; I cannot guarantee it will happen before the end of the fiscal year, but that is my desire at this point.

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Question 87-18(3): Seniors Day Program

Oral Questions

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you to the Minister for that response. Can the Minister confirm that the RFP will serve people with cognitive disabilities on some days of the week and people who are frail on other days of the week? In other words, will the RFP accommodate different needs by seniors in the day programming?

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Question 87-18(3): Seniors Day Program

Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

I will commit to sharing a copy of the RFP with the Member once it is released.

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Question 87-18(3): Seniors Day Program

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre .

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Question 87-18(3): Seniors Day Program

Oral Questions

Julie Green

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister reveal for us whether this contract is going to be retendered every year or whether this will be a multi-year offering? Mahsi.

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Question 87-18(3): Seniors Day Program

Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

Some of that depends on the types of proposals that we get in. We would obviously like to see something that lasts beyond the upcoming fiscal year, but it really depends on the nature of the proposals that are submitted. I would like to see some consistency and some continuity on this particular approach, but we have not seen proposals that have come in at this point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 87-18(3): Seniors Day Program

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake .

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Question 88-18(3): Resource Royalties In 2018-2019 Main Estimates

Oral Questions

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister responsible for Public Engagement and Transparency on his lengthy statement earlier today. He had to reach back in time to 2015-2016 and quote some figures from the main estimates, but can he tell me what is in the current main estimates of 2018-2019 in terms of royalties from minerals, oil, and gas extraction here in the Northwest Territories? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 88-18(3): Resource Royalties In 2018-2019 Main Estimates

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister responsible for Public Engagement and Transparency .

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Question 88-18(3): Resource Royalties In 2018-2019 Main Estimates

Oral Questions

Louis Sebert

Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I do not have the main estimates in front of me. I do know, however, that there is likely to be a significant decline in these revenues. Thank you.

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Question 88-18(3): Resource Royalties In 2018-2019 Main Estimates

Oral Questions

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Thanks to the Minister for that. I can help him with his memory there. It is $13.46 million. It is found on page B14 of the budget address, and I am sure he is going to have the main estimates in front of him shortly. Tobacco taxes are $16 million. In the interest of transparency, can the Minister tell us who actually calculates and predicts these royalties?

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Question 88-18(3): Resource Royalties In 2018-2019 Main Estimates

Oral Questions

Louis Sebert

Thebacha

I am not exactly sure how those revenue and royalty rates are set, but I will take the question as notice.

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Question 88-18(3): Resource Royalties In 2018-2019 Main Estimates

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. The question has been taken as notice. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake .

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Question 89-18(3): Mineral Resources Act

Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment made a Minister's statement, and I will quote from it: "Royalties directly impact the profitability and viability of resource development projects in the NWT" and that, "further, we will not be reviewing our resource royalty regime as part of the work on the proposed act."

One of the stated public goals of the act is to create a cutting-edge mineral resources regime in the Northwest Territories. If royalties affect our competitiveness so much, why is the Minister indicating that we are not going to address that? Thank you.

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Question 89-18(3): Mineral Resources Act

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment .

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Question 89-18(3): Mineral Resources Act

Oral Questions

Wally Schumann

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated before in this House around the Mineral Resource Act, there are a number of complex issues that we are moving forward working with intergovernmental council on these issues. The question about resource revenue coming into the GNWT was asked yesterday. This is a very complex issue, as I've stated in this House, and it needs a whole-government approach, and along with intergovernmental council, we have decided to defer that to a later date. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 89-18(3): Mineral Resources Act

Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kam Lake

When is that later date?

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Question 89-18(3): Mineral Resources Act

Oral Questions

Wally Schumann

Hay River South

If I had a crystal ball, I would let the Member know the exact date, but I suspect it will be in the next Assembly.

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Question 89-18(3): Mineral Resources Act

Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kam Lake

I'm just going to remind the Minister that the GNWT is in a revenue crisis right now, a massive shortfall that is unpredicted at this time around. It seems like now is the time to do it. Will the Minister reconsider that in light of a significant shortfall in revenues?

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Question 89-18(3): Mineral Resources Act

Oral Questions

Wally Schumann

Hay River South

I take a little offence to the Member's comments. We are in support of the mining industry in the Northwest Territories. This is our biggest revenue generator. It employs probably the largest number of people outside the bureaucracy. As I stated yesterday in this House, this is a very complex issue. People focus in on the resource royalties. There's much more than that, that these mines contribute to the Northwest Territories, social economic agreements, land taxes, IBAs, gas taxes, employment. This is a whole-government approach, and it has to be something that's taken seriously, and we will look at in due course in time.

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Question 89-18(3): Mineral Resources Act

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake .

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Question 89-18(3): Mineral Resources Act

Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, support the mining industry. I don't think my question was insulting. I think what's troubling is that the Minister won't present those significant contributions to our government's revenues and our economy in a transparent annual mining report. Will the Minister commit to putting those facts on the table in an annual report so we can stop having this debate and properly acknowledge the contributions of the mining sector to our economy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 89-18(3): Mineral Resources Act

Oral Questions

Wally Schumann

Hay River South

The Member has his own take on how we're moving this forward. As I've said, the mining industry is the biggest part of our economy. We will continue to support it on this side of the House. Some Members on that side maybe don't clearly want to support it, but we do. Our approach is, we need to support the sector that contributes the largest part of our economy. We will continue to do that, and working with the intergovernmental council moving forward, along with Members of this Assembly and the public, we will move these things as a time as needed. We are working on a Mineral Resource Act at this time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 89-18(3): Mineral Resources Act

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Jackson Lafferty

Oral questions. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to the Commissioner's opening address. Item 11, replies to budget address (day 3 of 7). Member for Frame Lake .

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Mr. O'Reilly's Reply

Replies to Budget Address

Kevin O'Reilly

Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I will use my reply to the budget address to set out some of my thoughts on the following, as I did last year:

• A quick

summary of the 2018-2019 budget and fiscal context;

• A review of what I recommended in my reply to the 2017-2018 budget address;

• A description of the process for the 2018-2019 Budget and how it might be improved; and

• The good and the bad of the 2018-2019 Budget as proposed by Cabinet.

Let there be no mistake, Cabinet continues to cut programs and services to fund surpluses that are being used to pay for large infrastructure projects such as the $67 million in 2018-2019 for the Tlicho all-season road. The promised spending in the last two years of our mandate is not happening. For example, there is no new funding for the arts or increased investment in renewable energy.

There is very significant financial uncertainty on the horizon, as cannabis revenues and expenses are not included in this budget. There is nothing on carbon pricing, and there will likely be a need to match some federal infrastructure funding opportunities that may mean an increase in our debt wall. One of the solutions that both sides of this House may agree on is the need to change the Territorial Formula Funding Agreement to allow us to keep more of our own source revenues to build economic sustainability.

Revenues are down by $84 million. I think the public would be shocked to learn that we will raise more money from tobacco taxes ($16 million) than we get from resource revenues ($13 million). There have been no serious efforts by Cabinet to stabilize and increase our own source revenues. So much for the promise of devolution where our government would do a better job managing resources than the feds. After almost four years post-devolution, not one word of the mirror legislation or regulations has been changed.

We can and should be raising significantly more from mining, as shown by two independent experts who have recently examined our revenues from this sector. As alluded to earlier today, maybe we need an independent review of economic rent from mining. A review of mining royalties has also been put off to some unspecified future date and is very unlikely to be completed within the life of this assembly, as confirmed today by the Minister of Mining. Why should the federal government give this government any more authority over lands and resources when we haven’t done anything with the authority we already have?

Lastly, the quality and inconsistency of the departmental budgets or business plans vary widely. Many contained almost no actual details on activities for 2018-2019, virtually meaningless performance indicators and questionable risk profiles, making our review very difficult at best. Cabinet Ministers need to pay much closer attention to their business plans, appropriate for the rationale and justification of a business case for the investment of public funds.

• Opening up the budget process to greater public scrutiny. I am pleased to say that the opening remarks of the Minister of Finance on the fiscal context were delivered in public, and I believe all sides would agree that was a useful exchange and in the public interest. I cannot report any progress on the development of a process convention for the budget.

• I recommended that there be a formal public engagement process for the 2018-2019 budget. This was not done, and there doesn’t seem to be any appetite to do it in the future. We may have to wait for the next Finance Minister .

• During the three budgets I’ve been involved in, I’ve recommended that there must be a serious effort to raise new revenues. I am sorry to report that there are again minimal efforts to raise any new revenues in this budget, other than a commitment to further study a land transfer tax and a tax on sugary drinks, as was promised last year. Perhaps most disturbing, Cabinet and the Finance Minister have not even chosen to do a factual investigation of the possibility of increased revenue generation from royalties