NORTHWEST TERRITORIES LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 2nd Session Day 1 16th Assembly HANSARD Wednesday, February 6, 2008 Pages 161 to 182 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 Hon. Michael Miltenberger (Great Slave) (Range Lake) (Thebacha) Minister of Health and Social Services Deputy Premier Mr. Tom Beaulieu Minister Responsible for the Status of Government House Leader (Tu Nedhe) Women Minister of Environment and Natural Minister Responsible for Persons with Resources Ms. Wendy Bisaro Disabilities Minister Responsible for the N.W.T. Housing (Frame Lake) Corporation Hon. Bob McLeod Minister Responsible for the Workers’ Compensation Board Mr. Bob Bromley (Yellowknife South) (Weledeh) Minister of Human Resources Mr. David Ramsay Mrs. Jane Groenewegen Minister of Industry, Tourism and (Kam Lake) Investment (Hay River South) Minister Responsible for the Public Utilities Board Hon. Floyd Roland Mr. Robert Hawkins (Inuvik Boot Lake) (Yellowknife Centre) Hon. Michael McLeod Premier (Deh Cho) Minister of Finance Mr. Jackie Jacobson Minister Responsible for the Financial (Nunakput) Minister of Municipal and Community Management Board Secretariat Affairs Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Mr. David Krutko Minister of Public Works and Services Intergovernmental Relations (Mackenzie Delta) Minister Responsible for Youth Hon. Norman Yakeleya Hon. Jackson Lafferty Mr. Robert McLeod (Sahtu) (Inuvik Twin Lakes) (Monfwi) Minister of Transportation Minister of Justice Minister Responsible for the NWT Power Minister of Education, Culture and Mr. Kevin Menicoche Corporation Employment (Nahendeh) Minister Responsible for Seniors Officers Clerk of the Legislative Assembly Mr. Tim Mercer Deputy Clerk Principal Clerk of Principal Law Clerks Committees Operations Clerk Mr. Doug Schauerte Ms. Patricia Russell Ms. Gail Bennett Mr. Glen Boyd Ms. Kelly Payne 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 .................................................................................................................................................................. 161 Opening Address ................................................................................................................................................ 161 Speaker’s Opening Comments.......................................................................................................................... 162 Ministers’ Statements ........................................................................................................................................ 162 1-16(2): Sessional Statement (Roland) ............................................................................................................ 162 2-16(2): Minister Absent from the House (Roland) .......................................................................................... 165 Members’ Statements ........................................................................................................................................ 165 Electrical Power Rate Increases (Krutko) ........................................................................................................ 165 Electrical Power Rate Increases (McLeod) ...................................................................................................... 166 Enhancements to Hay River Educational System (Groenewegen) .................................................................. 166 Condolences to Families of Deceased Tu Nedhe Residents (Beaulieu) .......................................................... 167 Support for Territorial Dementia Facility (Bisaro) ............................................................................................. 167 Number of N.W.T. Health Care Cards (Menicoche) ......................................................................................... 168 Deh Cho Bridge Project (Ramsay) ................................................................................................................... 168 Deh Cho Bridge Project (Abernethy) ............................................................................................................... 169 Condolences to Families of Deceased Nunakput Residents (Jacobson) ......................................................... 169 Strategic Literacy Investments (Bromley) ........................................................................................................ 170 NWT Power Corporation Communication Strategies (Hawkins) ...................................................................... 170 Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery ............................................................................................................... 171 Oral Questions .................................................................................................................................................... 171 1-16(2): Impact of Power Rates on the High Cost of Living (Krutko) ............................................................... 171 2-16(2): NWT Power Corporation Communications Strategies (Hawkins) ....................................................... 172 3-16(2): Improvements to Highway No. 6 (Beaulieu) ....................................................................................... 173 4-16(2): Deh Cho Bridge Project (Groenewegen) ............................................................................................ 173 5-16(2): Deh Cho Bridge Project (Ramsay) ..................................................................................................... 175 6-16(2): G.N.W.T. Fiscal Strategy (Bisaro) ...................................................................................................... 175 7-16(2): Single-Rate Electrical Power Zones (Menicoche) .............................................................................. 176 8-16(2): Strategic Literacy Investments (Bromley) ........................................................................................... 177 9-16(2): Deh Cho Bridge Project (Abernethy) .................................................................................................. 178 10-16(2): Decision of the Public Utilities Board (McLeod) ................................................................................ 178 11-16(2): Impact of Fiscal Strategy on Community Funding Levels (Jacobson) .............................................. 179 12-16(2): Northern Residency Tax Deduction (Hawkins) ................................................................................. 179 13-16(2): Deh Cho Bridge Project (Ramsay) ................................................................................................... 180 Written Questions ............................................................................................................................................... 181 1-16(2): G.N.W.T. Public Service/ NWT Power Corporation Salaries and Bonuses (Abernethy) .................... 181 Tabling of Documents ........................................................................................................................................ 181 Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills ..................................................................................................... 181 Bill 1 - Interim Appropriation Act, 2008–2009................................................................................................... 181 Bill 2 - Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 2007–2008 .......................................................................... 182 Bill 3 - An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act ................................................................................ 182 Orders of the Day ............................................................................................................................................... 182 February 6, 2008 NORTHWEST TERRITORIES HANSARD Page 161 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Wednesday, February 6, 2008 Members Present Mr. Abernethy, Mr. Beaulieu, Ms. Bisaro, Mr. Bromley, Hon. Paul Delorey, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Jacobson, Mr. Krutko, Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Hon. Sandy Lee, Hon. Bob McLeod, Hon. Michael McLeod, Mr. McLeod, Mr. Menicoche, Mr. Ramsay, Hon. Floyd Roland, Hon. Norman Yakeleya. The House met at 1:30 p.m. I wish to mention just a few names of our elders who have passed: Agnes Williams, Cy Cummings, Singing of O Canada. James Burke, Laurie Hobart, Irvin Norn, Mary Pope, James McPherson, Ernest Michel, Freda Denayah and Andrew Tetso. And lastly, although not from the Northwest Territories but from Nunavut, Willie Laserich, who was well loved and Prayer respected across the North, especially here in the west, for his medevacs, his air services and his Bishop Chatlain: May Your spirit and guidance be many search and rescue missions. in us as we work for the benefit of all our people for peace and justice in our land and for the constant But as people who have worked to shape our recognition of the dignity and aspirations of those territories leave us, younger generations take their whom we serve. We ask this through Christ our place. An important part of the