NORTHWEST TERRITORIES LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5th Session Day 51 16th Assembly HANSARD Friday, March 4, 2011 Pages 6379 - 6400 The Honourable Paul Delorey, Speaker Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories Members of the Legislative Assembly Speaker Hon. Paul Delorey (Hay River North) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mr. Glen Abernethy Hon. Sandy Lee Mr. Kevin Menicoche (Great Slave) (Range Lake) (Nahendeh) Minister of Health and Social Services Minister responsible for the Mr. Tom Beaulieu Status of Women Hon. Michael Miltenberger (Tu Nedhe) Minister responsible for (Thebacha) Persons with Disabilities Deputy Premier Minister responsible for Seniors Government House Leader Ms. Wendy Bisaro Minister of Finance (Frame Lake) Minister of Environment and Hon. Bob McLeod Natural Resources Mr. Bob Bromley (Yellowknife South) (Weledeh) Minister of Human Resources Minister of Industry, Tourism Mr. Dave Ramsay and Investment (Kam Lake) Mrs. Jane Groenewegen Minister responsible for the (Hay River South) Public Utilities Board Hon. Floyd Roland Minister responsible for (Inuvik Boot Lake) Energy Initiatives Premier Mr. Robert Hawkins (Yellowknife Centre) Minister of Executive Hon. Michael McLeod Minister of Aboriginal Affairs (Deh Cho) and Intergovernmental Relations Mr. Jackie Jacobson Minister of Transportation Minister responsible for the (Nunakput) Minister of Public Works and Services NWT Power Corporation Mr. David Krutko Hon. Robert C. McLeod Mr. Norman Yakeleya (Mackenzie Delta) (Inuvik Twin Lakes) (Sahtu) Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs Hon. Jackson Lafferty Minister responsible for the (Monfwi) NWT Housing Corporation Minister of Justice Minister responsible for the Workers' Minister of Education, Culture and Safety and Compensation Employment Commission Minister responsible for Youth ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Officers Clerk of the Legislative Assembly Mr. Tim Mercer Deputy Clerk Principal Clerk Principal Clerk, Law Clerks of Committees Operations Mr. Doug Schauerte Ms. Jennifer Knowlan Ms. Gail Bennett Ms. Sheila MacPherson Ms. Malinda Kellett ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Box 1320 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Tel: (867) 669-2200 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 ........................................................................................................................................................... 6379 MINISTERS' STATEMENTS ............................................................................................................................ 6379 125-16(5) – Devolution of Lands and Resources (Roland) ........................................................................ 6379 126-16(5) – Victim Notification Program (Lafferty) ..................................................................................... 6380 127-16(5) – Mackenzie Valley Highway (M. McLeod) ................................................................................ 6380 MEMBERS' STATEMENTS.............................................................................................................................. 6381 Concerns with Food Mail Program (Yakeleya) ........................................................................................... 6381 Support for Transitional Housing (Bisaro) .................................................................................................. 6382 Potential Spring Federal Election (Hawkins) .............................................................................................. 6382 Business Incentive Policy (Beaulieu) ......................................................................................................... 6383 Multi-Year Funding for Hay River Committee for Persons with Disabilities (Groenewegen) ...................... 6383 Deh Cho Bridge Project (Ramsay) ............................................................................................................. 6384 Congratulations to Fort Simpson Army Cadet Corps (Menicoche) ............................................................ 6384 V-Day North Campaign to Stop Violence against Women and Girls (Abernethy) ...................................... 6385 Cancellation of Funding for School Nutrition Program (Bromley) ............................................................... 6385 RECOGNITION OF VISITORS IN THE GALLERY .......................................................................................... 6386 ORAL QUESTIONS .......................................................................................................................................... 6386 TABLING OF DOCUMENTS ............................................................................................................................ 6396 FIRST READING OF BILLS ............................................................................................................................. 6396 Bill 25 – Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2011-2012 ............................................................ 6396 Bill 26 – Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 5, 2010-2011 ..................... 6396 Bill 27 – Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2010-2011 ........................ 6396 SECOND READING OF BILLS ........................................................................................................................ 6396 Bill 25 – Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2011-2012 ............................................................ 6396 Bill 26 – Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 5, 2010-2011 ..................... 6397 Bill 27 – Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2010-2011 ........................ 6397 CONSIDERATION IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE OF BILLS AND OTHER MATTERS ........................... 6397 REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE .................................................................................................. 6397 ii THIRD READING OF BILLS ............................................................................................................................ 6397 Bill 16 – An Act to Amend the Dog Act ....................................................................................................... 6397 Bill 25 – Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2011-2012 ............................................................ 6398 Bill 26 – Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 5, 2010-2011 ..................... 6398 Bill 27 – Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2010-2011 ........................ 6398 Prorogation ...................................................................................................................................................... 6398 March 4, 2011 NORTHWEST TERRITORIES HANSARD Page 6379 YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES Friday, March 4, 2011 Members Present Mr. Abernethy, Mr. Beaulieu, Ms. Bisaro, Mr. Bromley, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Krutko, Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Hon. Sandy Lee, Hon. Bob McLeod, Hon. Michael McLeod, Hon. Robert McLeod, Mr. Menicoche, Hon. Michael Miltenberger, Mr. Ramsay, Hon. Floyd Roland, Mr. Yakeleya The House met at 10:01 a.m. of the NWT. If we wait for the perfect devolution agreement we will never have one and millions of Prayer dollars will continue to flow out of the NWT. We still have some details to work out, like the issue of ---Prayer increasing the A-base funding offer originally made DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr. David Krutko): Thank in 2005, but that is something that can be you, Ms. Bisaro. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The addressed during negotiations towards a final honourable Premier, Mr. Roland. agreement. Some leaders understand this urgency and are Ministers’ Statements willing to continue working together towards a final devolution agreement. Others aren’t ready to take MINISTER’S STATEMENT 125-16(5): that step yet and I respect their position, although I DEVOLUTION OF LANDS AND RESOURCES hope that they will soon join us in working to pursue this long-outstanding goal of our people. HON. FLOYD ROLAND: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Devolution is another step in an ongoing process The GNWT fully recognizes and supports that has seen the Government of the Northwest Aboriginal and treaty rights, and the GNWT has Territories take more and more responsibility over involved all Aboriginal governments who are willing the decisions that affect all of us. Decisions about to participate in devolution. That said, Aboriginal our land and resources should be made by people governments cannot have a veto over what who live here, by a government that is accountable happens to public lands and resources by simply to NWT residents. choosing not to get involved. The settled Dene claims also make it explicitly clear that nothing in The devolution agreement-in-principle, or AIP, them shall prejudice the transfer of authority from allows negotiations to continue towards a final Canada to the GNWT, a fact often overlooked in agreement which will benefit all residents of the public comments about devolution. NWT. If the deal were