Hansard for February 16, 2016
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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 2nd Session Day 54 18th Assembly HANSARD Thursday, February 16, 2017 Pages 1721 – 1762 The Honourable Jackson Lafferty, Speaker Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories Members of the Legislative Assembly Speaker Hon. Jackson Lafferty (Monfwi) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Hon. Glen Abernethy Hon. Bob McLeod Mr. Kevin O’Reilly (Great Slave) (Yellowknife South) (Frame Lake) Government House Leader Premier Minister of Health and Social Services Minister of Executive Minister Responsible for the Workers’ Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Hon. Wally Schumann Safety and Compensation Intergovernmental Relations (Hay River South) Commission Minister of Industry, Tourism and Minister Responsible for Seniors Hon. Robert McLeod Investment Minister Responsible for Persons with Minister of Public Works and Services Disabilities (Inuvik Twin Lakes) Minister of Transportation Minister Responsible for the Public Deputy Premier Utilities Board Minister of Finance Minister of Environment and Natural Hon. Louis Sebert Resources (Thebacha) Mr. Tom Beaulieu Minister of Human Resources Minister of Justice (Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh) Lead Responsibility for Infrastructure Minister of Lands Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation Mr. Frederick Blake Mr. Daniel McNeely Minister Responsible for Public (Mackenzie Delta) (Sahtu) Engagement and Transparency Hon. Caroline Cochrane Hon. Alfred Moses Mr. R.J. Simpson (Range Lake) (Inuvik Boot Lake) (Hay River North) Minister of Municipal and Community Minister of Education, Culture and Affairs Employment Minister Responsible for Northwest Minister Responsible for Youth Mr. Kieron Testart Territories Housing Corporation (Kam Lake) Minister Responsible for the Status of Mr. Michael Nadli Women (Deh Cho) Mr. Shane Thompson Lead Responsibility for Addressing (Nahendeh) Homelessness Mr. Herbert Nakimayak Ms. Julie Green (Nunakput) Mr. Cory Vanthuyne (Yellowknife North) (Yellowknife Centre) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Officers Clerk of the Legislative Assembly Mr. Tim Mercer Deputy Clerk Committee Clerk Committee Clerk Law Clerks Mr. Doug Schauerte Mr. Michael Ball Ms. Cayley Thomas (Acting) Ms. Sheila MacPherson Mr. Glen Rutland Ms. Alyssa Holland __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Box 1320 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Tel: (867) 767-9010 Fax: (867) 920-4735 Toll-Free: 1-800-661-0784 http://www.assembly.gov.nt.ca Published under the authority of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories TABLE OF CONTENTS PRAYER ........................................................................................................................................................... 1721 MINISTERS’ STATEMENTS ............................................................................................................................ 1721 134-18(2) – Anti-Poverty (Abernethy) ........................................................................................................ 1721 135-18(2) – Airport Infrastructure Funding (Schumann) ............................................................................ 1722 MEMBERS' STATEMENTS.............................................................................................................................. 1723 Inuvik-Aklavik Seasonal Winter Road (Blake) ............................................................................................ 1723 Socio-economic Agreements (O'Reilly) ..................................................................................................... 1724 Northwest Territories Outstanding Volunteer Awards (Thompson) ............................................................ 1724 Reducing the Cost of Living for Northwest Territories Residents (Vanthuyne) .......................................... 1725 Land Rights Agreements (Testart) ............................................................................................................. 1725 Community Energy Plans (McNeely) ......................................................................................................... 1726 Anti-Poverty Initiatives (Beaulieu) .............................................................................................................. 1726 #LoveNWTwater Bottled Water Campaign (Green) ................................................................................... 1726 Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee (Nakimayak) ...................................................................................... 1727 Condolences to K'atlodeeche House Fire Victims (Nadli) .......................................................................... 1727 RECOGNITION OF VISITORS IN THE GALLERY .......................................................................................... 1728 ORAL QUESTIONS .......................................................................................................................................... 1728 CONSIDERATION IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE OF BILLS AND OTHER MATTERS ........................... 1735 REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE .................................................................................................. 1762 ORDERS OF THE DAY .................................................................................................................................... 1762 ii February 16, 2017 NORTHWEST TERRITORIES HANSARD Page 1721 YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES Thursday, February 16, 2017 Members Present Hon. Glen Abernethy, Hon. Tom Beaulieu, Mr. Blake, Hon. Caroline Cochrane, Ms. Green, Hon. Bob McLeod, Hon. Robert McLeod, Mr. McNeely, 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. sustained effort by all levels of government and civil society. The Government of the Northwest Territories has a leadership role, but we can’t do it Prayer alone. ---Prayer Importantly, Mr. Speaker, we can’t do it without our communities. We’ve learned that, with our limited DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr. R.J. Simpson): Item 2, resources, the most effective approach is to follow Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social the lead of local champions and provide resources Services. to support local initiatives. As Minister, I have been impressed by the amazing proposals with tangible, Ministers' Statements achievable results generated in our smallest and most remote communities, and am pleased to MINISTER'S STATEMENT 134-18(2): support them. ANTI-POVERTY Mr. Speaker, we recognize that holding annual Anti- HON. GLEN ABERNETHY: Thank you, Mr. Poverty Roundtables alone will not eliminate Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Government of the poverty in the Northwest Territories, but these Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its roundtables provide an excellent opportunity for mandate to work collaboratively to reduce poverty partners to discuss challenges and successes in in the Northwest Territories by working with our each region, to share best practices, and to advise partners to advance the Territorial Anti-Poverty our government on priority areas for action. In a Action Plan, funding community-based partners, similar vein, the Anti-Poverty Fund is not designed supporting community priorities for wellness, and to solve poverty in the Northwest Territories on its developing additional options for action. own. Rather, it is intended to support local initiatives, tailored to respond to locally identified Poverty is a complex issue and there is no single needs and priorities and hopefully to assist solution. The lack of a commonly accepted, shared communities and non-government organizations to definition on poverty makes it difficult to have a leverage other funding for these important focused discussion among stakeholders. Because initiatives. poverty and the factors that influence poverty are so all-encompassing, it makes it difficult to set Mr. Speaker, to get the complete picture on how parameters or put a box around the appropriate much our government is spending to fight poverty, scope for a poverty reduction strategy. one needs to step back and take a broader look at the investments we are making in the NWT’s However, our work in this area is guided by a people. The GNWT is proposing to spend nearly territorial framework that was developed by the $1.7 billion in its 2017-18 budget, Mr. Speaker, with Government of the Northwest Territories in a billion of that, 63 per cent, intended for partnership with other stakeholders, including non- departments in the social envelope. We talk a lot government organizations, Aboriginal governments, about new investments at budget time, but we and business. The framework outlines five areas shouldn’t forget the ongoing spending those new where we need to take action, including supporting investments are being added to. Some of the children and families, promoting healthy living, ongoing spending includes: ensuring safe and affordable housing, making our communities sustainable, and providing an $151 million for schools, including $25 million integrated continuum of services to our residents. for inclusive schooling; The framework is supported by a Territorial Anti- $48.8 million for income security, including Poverty Action Plan, which