Hansard for October 19, 2016
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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 2nd Session Day 33 18th Assembly HANSARD Wednesday, October 19, 2016 Pages 1067 – 1108 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 Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Hon. Wally Schumann Workers’ 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 Principal Clerk, Principal Clerk, Law Clerks Mr. Doug Schauerte Committees and Public Corporate and Ms. Sheila MacPherson Affairs Interparliamentary Affairs Mr. Glen Rutland Mr. Michael Ball Ms. Cayley Thomas (Acting) 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 ........................................................................................................................................................... 1067 MINISTERS’ STATEMENTS ............................................................................................................................ 1067 85-18(2) - Importance of Small Business (Schumann) ................................................................................ 1067 86-18(2) - New Ministerial Directive, Enrolment of Students in French First Language Programs (Moses) ....................................................................................................................................... 1068 MEMBERS' STATEMENTS .............................................................................................................................. 1068 Enrolment in French First Language Education Programs (O’Reilly) .......................................................... 1068 Support for Entrepreneurs (Vanthuyne) ....................................................................................................... 1069 Employment Support Programs in Small Communities (Beaulieu) .............................................................. 1070 Kam Lake Entrepreneurs and Small Business Operators (Testart) ............................................................. 1070 Fort Simpson Papal Site Teepee Replacement (Thompson) ...................................................................... 1071 Value of Start-Up Small Business Programs (Green) .................................................................................. 1071 Fire Prevention Month (Nadli) ...................................................................................................................... 1072 Recognition of Lanita Thrasher, Inuvialuit Pilot (Nakimayak) ...................................................................... 1073 Replacement of the Louis Cardinal Ferry (Blake) ........................................................................................ 1073 Tsa Tue International Biosphere Reserve (McNeely) .................................................................................. 1074 Northland Utilities (Simpson) ....................................................................................................................... 1074 RECOGNITION OF VISITORS IN THE GALLERY .......................................................................................... 1074 ORAL QUESTIONS .......................................................................................................................................... 1086 TABLING OF DOCUMENTS ............................................................................................................................ 1086 CONSIDERATION IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE OF BILLS AND OTHER MATTERS ........................... 1086 REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE .................................................................................................. 1106 ORDERS OF THE DAY .................................................................................................................................... 1107 ii . October 19, 2016 NORTHWEST TERRITORIES HANSARD Page 1067 YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES Wednesday, October 19, 2016 Members Present Hon. Glen Abernethy, Mr. Beaulieu, Mr. Blake, Hon. Caroline Cochrane, Ms. Green, Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Hon. Robert McLeod, Hon. Bob McLeod, Mr. McNeely, Hon. Alfred Moses, Mr. Nadli, Mr. Nakimayak, Mr. O’Reilly, Hon. Louis Sebert, Hon. Wally Schumann, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Testart, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Vanthuyne businesses looking to expand their offerings, build The House met at 1:30 p.m. their knowledge base, and fill niches within the NWT economy. Prayer With challenges from sparse population to high ---Prayer shipping costs, our small businesses are often reliant on our support to respond to the market with SPEAKER (Hon. Jackson Lafferty): Good a new product, build new skills at a tradeshow, or afternoon, Members. Ministers' statements. Minister purchase needed equipment. This is the kind of of Industry, Tourism and Investment. support that is provided by the SEED Program. I will also be tabling an annual report and a corporate Ministers’ Statements plan of the NWT Business Development and Investment Corporation. Last year, the BDIC distributed $7 million in financing to 58 northern MINISTER’S STATEMENT 85-18(2): business enterprises, and also 80 per cent of which IMPORTANCE OF SMALL BUSINESS were outside of Yellowknife. HON. WALLY SCHUMANN: Mr. Speaker, this is BDIC’s subsidies saw 16 per cent growth in Small Business Week in Canada. Over 90 per cent employment and a 21 per cent increase in sales in of the NWT’s business is being defined as small 2015 and 2016. They directly employed more than businesses. This important sector provides 16 full-time equivalent positions and generated employment opportunities for our people, the $843,000 in sales of made-in-the-NWT products. economic diversity to balance the ups and down of Through them NWT products are available for sale the resource economy and makes our communities in retail outlets across Canada and parts of the great places to live. The Department of Industry, United States. The Community Futures Program Tourism and Investment helps create the economic also plays an important role in advancing environment NWT entrepreneurs and small grassroots support for up-and-coming businesses business owners need to invest, take risks and in our territory. I will also be tabling an annual report prosper. We do so with targeted policies, programs detailing the performance of the independent and funding initiatives, and in partnership with Community Future Development Corporations that organizations such as the Business Development deliver this program in each of our 33 communities. and Investment Corporation and Community Futures Organizations. As individual entrepreneurs The GNWT supports NWT business through its and businesses succeed locally, they contribute to Manufactured Products and Business Incentive regional economic growth and the sustainability of Policies, which are designed to support the creation the NWT’s economy overall. Mr. Speaker, our and the growth of competitive local businesses by government invests daily into small businesses in guiding government purchasing to NWT operators, the NWT. During this session, I will be tabling a which provide investment into small business and number of documents that will highlight the different the manufacturing sectors. During this session, I ways we support economic growth and will be tabling the annual report of government diversification